


The Last: Menma the Book

by OrenjiRabenda



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst and Romance, F/M, Love Confessions, NaruHina 2020, Post-Fourth Shinobi War, Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie, The Last: Naruto the Movie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:21:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 38
Words: 65,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23940742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrenjiRabenda/pseuds/OrenjiRabenda
Summary: After two years after the Fourth Great Shinobi War:When Namikaze Menma, the next Hokage of the Konohagakure, and Hyūga Hinata, the next head of the Hyūga clan, find themselves in a rather confusing state of choosing between love and mission.A mysterious phenomenon has been occurring, the moon threatening the existence of man kind.Meanwhile,At the night Hyūga Hanabi was left unguarded, a man named Otsutsuki Toneri, a mysterious man from a foreign land, appeared and abducted her along with an attempt to her sister's.Now it's up to Menma and his team of ninja friends, consisting of Nara Shikamaru, Haruno Sakura, Sai, Hyūga Neji, and of course, Hinata, to save Hanabi.IT'S UNLIKE ANY MENMA FANFICS YOU'VE READ.RE-EXPERIENCE THE LAST LIKE NEVER BEFORE.(Naruto: The Last , Menma Parody)From: yours truly and ChloeLaPommeUPDATES ON: Thursdays, 1:00PM UTC
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata & Hyuuga Neji, Hyuuga Hinata & Ootsutsuki Toneri, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Menma
Comments: 5
Kudos: 51
Collections: NaruHina2020





	1. The Last: Menma the Book

You read/saw The Last. But have you ever wondered what happened in the Alternate Universe with Menma and Hinata?

You're thinking about it now?

Well, here's the book to answer your questions!

  
After two years after the Fourth Great Shinobi War:

When Namikaze Menma, the next Hokage of the Konohagakure, and Hyūga Hinata, the next head of the Hyūga clan, find themselves in a rather confusing state of choosing between love and mission.

A mysterious phenomenon has been occurring, the moon threatening the existence of man kind.

Meanwhile,

At the night Hyūga Hanabi was left unguarded, a man named Otsutsuki Toneri, a mysterious man from a foreign land, appeared and abducted her along with an attempt to her sister's.

Now it's up to Menma and his team of ninja friends, consisting of Nara Shikamaru, Haruno Sakura, Sai, Hyūga Neji, and of course, Hinata, to save Hanabi.

**IT'S UNLIKE ANY** **MENMA** **FANFICS YOU'VE READ.**

**RE-EXPERIENCE THE LAST LIKE NEVER BEFORE.**

  
(Naruto: The Last , Menma Parody)

From: [OrenjiRabenda](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrenjiRabenda/pseuds/OrenjiRabenda) and [ChloeLaPomme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChloeLaPomme/pseuds/ChloeLaPomme)


	2. The Last: Menma the Book

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toddler Hinata after she was attempted to be kidnap.
> 
> Or
> 
> Menma and Hinata seeing each other for the first time.

\- - -

In Konoha, Hyūga Hiashi might be a strict leader of the Hyūga clan, one of the most powerful and admire clan of the village, but he has the hugest soft spot for his now three year old daughter who apparently-

"What took you so long?!" Hinata screamed at his face, trying to look tough as she glared up at him with trembling lips and watery eyes. Her cheek had the tiniest splat of blood that came from her kidnapper's mouth. The rest of her face was so perfect that people was cooing everytime their gaze would be attract by her beauty and by her so well-known eyes.

The Byakūgan, one of the most formidable dōjustu along with the Sharingan.

"Hinata..!" Hiashi dropped to his knees and hugged his daughter, making her cry into his robes, the tiny girl sobbed rather too quietly for a child, but sill she glared up at her father with anger, fear, and joy evident in her eyes, "I-I almost got kidnapped!"

Apparently, the young heiress had hit her kidnapper's chest as hard as she could with all the chakra she had, killing him in the process. Hinata looks like a living doll who couldn't defend herself, but her set of techniques could say otherwise. She was the heiress of the Hyūga clan, that's why she's often a target, for her eyes and her talent. Yet, she was still a child and crying in her father's arms was all she wanted to do for now.

"I'm so, so, sorry..." Hiashi whispeared to her ear, pressing her a bit more against his worried heart.

After the incident, Kumogakure claimed the elite Jónin to be acting outside the Raikage's orders, and had refused any punishments. Obviously, it was planned but claiming the Elite Jónin to be doing his job and got killed by an unarmed, innocent looking, three year old, doe eyed, cute little princess toddler girl with kept soft and shiny hair would be too embarassing.

Now, Hiashi and Hizashi could only laugh as Neji gawked over his stronger junior, Hinata, who was now back to her usual self, meaning, back to bossing around every Hyūga in the compound.

\- - -

Passing by the mighty clan's compound entrance, a family of three stopped.

"Well..." Kushina said as she looked at the tall and sturdy gate, she grinned up at her husband and said "The Hyūga never fails to impress, dattebane!"

"Indeed" Minato chuckled, then looked at his little blonde haired replica. With his three whiskers on each cheeks, his wide blue eyes were staring at the huge gates with awe, not believing that a girl his age did indeed kill a man ten times her age. And not to mention the experience he has compared to her...

He didn't want to say it, but he was indeed impressed by the girl.

Should he see her as a rival for the Hokage seat?

"Neh, Menma-kun, wanna visit and know her name? Her mother is a friend of mine, dattebane!" The redhead invited in her usual cheerful and mothery tone, but the little guy huffed in response.

"It's none of my concern. Besides, I thought we were getting ramen, dattebayo?" he said, his eyebrows frowned and his tiny fists placed on his hips.

"Alright, alright, grumpy pants. Let's go!" Kushina laughed as they walked away.

And as they walked away, Menma didn't fail to see the little girl with short blue hair wearing a pink and orange kimono walking towards the compound with three Hyūga men surrounding her.

For a second, he frowned again, but when his blue eyes met her pale lavender ones, he was caught off guard and quickly, he looked away, disrupted.

_"I wonder if that was her..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Hey hey!! It's me! Author 1! I'm one of the authors of this book along with ChloeLaPomme!
> 
> Link to her: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChloeLaPomme/pseuds/ChloeLaPomme
> 
> I'll be stating the obvious, but here I go! This is just a flashback chapter, and there would be a few more flashbacks before the Last time would start, hehehehe.
> 
> Stay tuned for more angsty romance coming your way! See 'ya next time! Peace!!!
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


	3. Memory 2: And His Name is Menma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary:
> 
> Hinata is getting bullied, and a mysterious boy comes to her rescue.
> 
> Or
> 
> Menma gives his red scarf to Hinata.
> 
> \- - -

Snow was slowly falling from the cloudy sky that day. All the trees had lost their leaves and Konoha was covered of a white coat of snow. It was almost like a peaceful day.

Almost...

"Just because you're a Hyūga doesn't mean you can walk all over us!"

"Yeah! Don't even look at us, your eyes are creepy!"

Hinata balled her tiny fists as she glared up at the older boys. Her face burning red, half because of embarassment and half of anger.

The three boys noticed it and laughed so she hissed and screamed "Don't you have anything better to do with your sad, pitiful, and worthless lives?! You'll regret even breathing the same air as I once you know who-"

Suddenly, she was shoved down to the pile of snow. She then glared up and screeched "How dare you?!"

The three boys laughed again, only to feel a sharp pain in their stomach. Hinata didn't stop with giving them a gentle fist to the stomach, no, she decided to turn it into an actual fight.

The three boys hissed. One of them raised a fist and yelled out a battle cry as he ran towards her but Hinata saw it coming from a mile away so she easily side stepped around it, then the second boy ran and threw a kick.

Hinata simply disabled his leg with a gentle fist as she glared at him.

"Take this!" The last boy yelled as he picked up a rock and threw it her direction.

Unfortunately, because of her fixed position, she knew she couldn't dodge that. She closed her eyes shut, expecting pain to come but a small hand caught it.

"That's enough" A new voice said. The four of them looked at the new comer, lightly dressed for someone outside during winter. Blond hair and short height, with his cold blue eyes piercing through the three boys' souls, he tisked "You guys have no morality. Three older boys teaming up against one younger girl? Tsk, and honestly, you've wasted enough time even looking at them, Hyūga"

"You're right, I'm leav- Hey!" She screamed as one of the boys snatched her scarf and waved it around, "Who's so great now?! Hehehe!"

"Give that back!" She growled as she activated her Byakugan. The three boys obviously cowered at the sight of her activated dōjustu and ran, with her scarf still in their grubby hands.

She growled loudly and prepared to run after them, but a small hand grabbed her shoulder. She glared at the boy and hissed "How dare you touch me!"

"They're not worth your time" He simply said.   
She faced him completely and, because he didn't seem to be impressed by her, she deactivated her Byakugan.

Suddenly, he started removing his long red scarf around his neck and said "They're just miserable low lives that are willing to make trouble to get attention, probably idiots, too"

He then looked at her, his piercing blues meeting her powerful lavenders, he started putting his scarf around her neck and looked at it with focus, "Use this, it might not be as richly made as yours or not even fit for a girl like you, but you need one, to keep you warm, dattebayo"

As if it wasn't freezing right now, he started walking away, his hands tucked snugly into his pockets. He passed her wordlessly, as if nothing happened just moments ago, so she bit her lip before muttering "What's your name?"

He stopped, didn't move an inch. And at the moment Hinata was ready to repeat her question with a stronger and more demanding voice, he answered with one simple word, "Menma"

She wanted to tell him that it was rude of him to make her, an esteemed heiress of one of the most powerful clans, wait for his answer, but he suddenly looked at her and she was now speechless in front of him.

Looking into his eyes which weren't admiring nor afraid, she felt her cheek turn red because he was really looking at her, not as an heiress, or a Hyūga, but Hinata.

Or maybe it was because of the warm scarf she had around her neck. Yeah, must be it...

To cool down and make him go away, she nodded and it worked because he was now walking down the snowy path when she gave him her back.

She made a few steps then she turned to his direction and propered her posture "Hey!"

Now, she was going to tell him what she had on her heart but, to her surprise, he stopped on his tracks again, not turning for the first time, Hinata felt her cheeks burn as she shyly put her hands to her chest "Thanks"

Menma started walking again and waved his hand dismissively, as if saying 'it was nothing'.

Hinata watched the strange blond boy disappear into the snowy forest towards the village, snuggling deeper into his scarf, feeling again, but this time, letting its warmth engulf her.

Little did she know, that simple red scarf giving her the warmth she needed could change her life.

**_____**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I don't thing people know me here so I'll start with a bit of a presentation.
> 
> Don't worry it'll be short so not boring haha  
> Anyway, I'm Author A, ChloeLaPomme - but you're welcome to call me Chloe - I'm one of the authors of this book.
> 
> And... end of the presentation haha told you it'll be short.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this second flashback and that you're ready for this slow-burn story with our favourite idiots in love :)
> 
> -ChloeLaPomme


	4. Memory 3: Paper Plane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary:
> 
> In Iruka's class, he decided to make the aspiring ninjas do a little activity for fun.
> 
> Or
> 
> Hinata wonders who to write, then Menma decides to make a paper plane instead to show how much he disagrees.
> 
> \- - -

Rays of sun was enlightening the shinobi Academy that day. All the trees had grown their leafs back and Konoha was blessed with a beautiful blue sky. It was almost like a peaceful day.

Almost...

"If the world were to end tomorrow, who would you spend your last day with?" Iruka lazily said before bringing his face to his hand with a sigh, "Uh.. There's paper and stuff... Just write down the name"

Because it was a warm day, aspiring ninjas wanted to go and practice outside, but they couldn't today because the other class was taking their exam to become genin.

And one blond shinobi desperately wanted to go and join the exam today, but couldn't because of no reason, thus, he was beyond grumpy.

"How more stupid can this class get?" Menma huffed out in annoyance "There is no way the world is gonna end"

 _"I know I really have to behave"_ Menma thought as he glared at his teacher _"I want to become the perfect Hokage, afterall. But... This thing is useless, dattebayo..."_

"Oh, I dunno" Iruka deadpanned and said "Uh... Just suppose the moon is going to fall, I guess"

Shikamaru sighed dreamily and thought "If we're gonna die being squashed, I'd rather it to be a big piece of meat than the moon"

"Shikamaru, food again?" Choji asked in annoyance, causing the entire class to laugh, except for those reserved ones.

"Don't worry, kitten~ If the world is going to end, I'll protect you" Sasuke flirted with Sakura.

Unfortunately, she huffed and said as she turned to Menma, dreamily "I don't need protecting from a flirt like you, Sasuke"

From afar, Hinata rolled her eyes as she thought _"I can't believe I got stuck with a lazy teacher and a bunch of morons and underlings as classmates. Why did I even choose to stop homeschooling just to be here, again?"_

She glared down at her paper, unbeknownst to her, Menma was doing the same.

It was so hard for kids their age to understand the purpose of this exercise. Maybe because they didn't know the horrors of war just yet, or maybe because they didn't want to choose between all the people they had around them, or maybe just because not even a single person makes them feel special.

With that in mind, Menma crossed his hands behind his head and looked up.

 _"Heh, the moon? That's the best he could think of?"_ He thought _"Besides, I'd rather just wait for it all to end than to have another person with me to complain until my last breath"_

And with that, he folded his paper into a paper plane and aimed out the open window, ignoring the pinkette fangirl beside him panicking to cover her paper with his name on it and tried to smile cutely at him innocently as if he was looking, which turned out to look stupid instead.

"Menmaaaaa...! Don't throw your paper away, please" Iruka groaned as he glared at the young boy, “How are you going to do the work now?”

Menma glared back at him, not replying.

While, the entire class turned to witness the heated glaring contest, Hinata smiled dreamily and had her pen glide across her paper.

Once done, she picked it up and smiled. _"That's right. For him"_

_“Namikaze Menma.”_

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Hey hey!! It's author 1, again!!!
> 
> Don't worry, don't worry. The flashbacks are about to end soon, we're getting there!
> 
> Stay tuned for the MenmaHina action! 'Til the next update! Byeeeeee!!!
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


	5. Memory 4: A Destined Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata faces Neji, afraid of how to fight him. Menma encourages her to fight as she pleases.
> 
> Or
> 
> Hinata motivates Menma after he confesses his fear.
> 
> \- - -

Hinata looks at Neji with fear, not wanting to fight him, no, not the way they wanted.

"Come on! Finish him with the seal!"

"Make him forfeit!"

"Assert your dominance over that branch member!"

She could hear the elders and her father, screaming, demanding her to use the Caged Bird Seal against her own cousin.

She openly despises using the Caged Bird Seal against Neji, to anyone in fact, and the seal itself, even.

But Hinata was the Heiress, the next head of her clan, she has to listen to the elders.

The crowd was silent, only the screaming of the elders echoed through the arena, not knowing what seal they were talking about.

Neji went down to his knees and bowed his head, talking out loud, for the world to listen, "Go ahead, Hinata-sama! I am your humble servant, just say the word and I shall forfeit for you!"

Hinata shook her head, afraid to ashame her cousin, and shocked, "After all those times...?!"

"I-Is that who I am to you?" Hinata asked, her hand clutching the wraps around her chest "All these years... Am I just your mistress to you?"

"I will gladly offer my life to the main house, especially you, Hinata-sama! I'll gladly be a stepping stone to your success, now and forever!" He announced, he ripped off his hitai-ate for everyone to see, his seal hidden before, "If you refuse to make me forfeit, I will allow you to use this against me, just for you, Hinata-sama!"

Menma had enough, he slammed his hands against the railings and yelled "Shove it, Neji! You are embarassing yourself! Hinata is your cousin, she sees you as her brother, dattebayo! How did you not see that?! You being from that so called side branch has nothing to do with your relationship with her!"

Hinata felt her heart flutter, Menma, her long time crush, thought the same way as her, and voiced it out for her, despite him being silent, she turned to meet eyes with him.

"Hinata! Dammit, I thought you were strong!" Menma yelled "Why won't you fight, huh?! Fight the Hinata way!"

"Menma-kun... You're right!" Hinata smirked, activating her Byakugan and faced Neji, he looked shocked, but he shook it off, standing up as he wore his Hitai-ate back on, smiling back at her with his Byakugan glaring back at her, he then said "Okay then, cousin. I won't go easy either"

As the fight commenced, with them sizing up each other, Sakura latched onto Menma's arm and said "Menma-kun, you never cheered me like that when Ino-chan an- Woah!"

"You're going too soft on him, Hinata! Are you a coward or something?!" Menma yelled harshley as he slammed both his hands down to the railing to intentionally shove the pinkette away from him.

Sakura glared at Hinata and yelled "Fight, Neji!" "I'm sorry, Menma-kun! But she has to know her place!"

Soon enough, the fight became one sided, Hinata winning the upper hand as she started busting out techniques unknown to the side branch.

Neji raised both his hands to show he has given up, no chakra flowing anymore.

They both hugged each other as a sign to show that they are now cousins again, not a superior and an underling.

Hinata twirled on the ball of her foot and smiled up at Menma who smiled back at her, a legitimate smile that she rarely saw.

Only to be met by a news that shocked them both, "Hyūga Hinata vs. Namikaze Menma"

"Menma-kun?" Hinata asked as she arrived to a training ground, Menma turned to her, looking annoyed, she smiled and skipped to him, "Hi"

He nodded in acknowledgement, Hinata noted that he has his backpack on, so she asked "Are you alright? The finals will start soon, you know"

"What do you think? I'm supposed to fight a girl" He replied with sarcasm, she frowned and said "Hey, just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm weak!"

"I know" He replied, Hinata blushed, but she remained frowning and said "Doesn't seem like it, Menma-kun"

Menma sighed and looked down "... What if I lose? And what if I win?"

"I don't understand..." She said, he looked at the ground with hard eyes and said "If I lose, many people would be disappointed, my team, Jiraya-sensei, my parents, and me. I expect so much, I have to show that I'm never going to fail anything, so that in the future, I could proudly say that I never failed anything, so they'll know that I'm the strongest Hokage in history"

Hinata was shocked, "He thinks like this?"

He then looked at her and said "And if I win? Then that means that I have hurted you more than you hurted me! I don't want to hurt my friends and you, Hinata... If this is what I have to do to become a perfect Hokage, I don't think I can"

Hinata suddenly crossed her arms and said "Menma, listen to me"

Their eyes met, she then said "So what if you have to hurt me? I don't care if you hurt me, this is a fight to become the best! Look at me, I love you, everyone knows that, I love you, but I'm not afraid to fight you, because I want to show you how strong I can be! To impress you, Menma-kun! Menma-kun, show me how strong you are"

"Hinata..." He knew her feelings, but he knows she'll get over it, but right now? She touched him, he could feel his ego rising again.

"And you know what? If you lose, no one would even care if their Hokage isn't perfect" She continued "I'll be Clan Head by then and they won't be shocked, 'cause I'm awesome and flawless by that time. And if they do think that their Hokage is disappointing because he lost, at least I don't. I might have not seen you fail before, nor did anyone, but that is because you strive the hardest to be the very best! But if you lose, then I know more than anyone that you'll use it to become the very best from that point on so that it won't ever happen again and become a proud failure! That's what I like about you the most, you learn and you never give up, Menma-kun! And I love it"

Menma looked at her, awed, she was surprising in every way, "You're weird"

He started walking away, walking passed her at the process, Hinata bit her lip and looked down, gripping the slings of her bag, she froze when she heard him saying "I really like people like you"

She wanted to jump and squeal, but Menma turned to look at her and said "What are you waiting for? Let's go"

"Right, coming!" Hinata said, she looked at him with a side glance and a teasing smile and said "I always knew you liked me~"

He didn't reply but instead continued walking with his hands in his pockets, ignoring her comment, and heading to the venue.

Anyway, none of them won, since the invasion cut their fight. And in the end, only Shikamaru got a promotion, much to everyone's surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Hi everyone, Author A speaking!
> 
> I hope you're still enjoying the flashbacks. They're important for the setting of the story since it gives backstory for the characters.
> 
> Don't forget to comment, thank you for reading and see you next time
> 
> -ChloeLaPomme


	6. Memory 5: Menma Versus the Akatsuki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary:
> 
> Menma fights against Pain.
> 
> Or
> 
> Hinata fights against Pain.
> 
> \- - -

"What's gotten into him?!" Sakura screeched "If he tries to even use the Kyūbi just to flee Konoha, he'll be taken down by the Akatsuki!"

"Why use the Kyūbi against your own village, Menma?" Pain asked as he completed pinning down Menma, Menma growled and said "No one understands! If I stay here, I might end up killing everyone because of that demon fox whispering ideas!"

It seems to have come out of nowhere. Menma suddenly wanted to flee Konoha to protect his friends and comrades. He was claiming that the Nine Tails had been whispering and taunting him, and now he's afraid he'll take over any time soon.

Who knows how long Menma had been thinking of leaving the village for everyone else's sake.

But it seems like that his plan is being hindered since the Hokage, lady Tsunade, sent out the Akatsuki to try and stop Menma from leaving. Having Menma out of their watch and having the potential to rampage outside the village, it's just too much of a risk. The Akatsuki is afterall, one of the most reliable allies of the Leaf.

But why was Menma so afraid? It was because Kurama is a much more manipulative beast, he messes up his thoughts by whispering psychotic ideas. Kurama was more like the devil on Menma's shoulder, with no angel on his other to help him out. So Menma's struggling to ignore him. Kurama's a demon. A demon. And Menma's just a man. A man.

"It's time to go back" Pain said as he held out his hand "Menma"

Suddenly...

Pain jumped back, dodging a gentle fist.

Hinata stood in between the two men.

She growled, her eyes looking at poor Menma, then to the one who hurt him.

"I won't let you hurt Menma-kun anymore!" She claimed, Menma suddenly growled and yelled "What are you doing here?! Just run! This is none of your business!"

"No!" She firmly said "If I run, I'll just be showing you that running away is the right answer. So, no. I won't run away, never again!"

Hinata recalled all the times she wanted to run away, but because of Menma, she decided to stay.

"If what you are doing is what you think is right..." Hinata said "Then I would support you, no matter what! And that is on my nindo, my ninja way!"

Menma was shocked.

Was Hinata really standing up against Pain just for him? Because he wanted to run away?

"I will always be supporting you, Menma. No matter what. I have said it thousands of times over and over. But if you still don't understand, if you don't think I am serious about this, then I'll keep repeating it until you do" Hinata said, firmly, but the tone in her voice, it was gentle and earnest, "Because I love you, Menma. And I always will"

A gust of wind blew.

And just like that, Hinata slipped into her fighting stance as she activated her Byakugan.

Pain tisked, "The heiress of the Hyūga... If I don't defeat her, Menma will be able to run, and I will fail Lady Hokage"

A black rod slipped out and went into his grasp. This was a Hyūga, he has to take it seriously.

Hinata nodded to herself, _"Now!"_

With one quick sweep, she removed a rod from Menma, surprising both men.

Pain growled and blew her away.

Hinata gasped, rolling roughly to the ground.

"Hinata!" Menma yelled in worry.

Hinata tisked as she stood back up, wiping away what little blood she spat out.

She then sprinted ahead, trying to remove another rod, but was blown away once more before she even reached Menma.

Hinata quickly landed swiftly on her feet and glared at Pain "You really want to fight, bastard?!"

She then crouched down and tucked her fists back, building up chakra in her hands.

"Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fists!"

She quickly pounced and sent a flurry of punches towards Pain in under five seconds before he could even perform his jutsu again.

Their movements were very fast, five seconds yet there were already countless of punches thrown.

But out of nowhere, Hinata dug her foot into the ground and performed another technique "Rotation!"

Pain was roughly blown away, surprising even both Hinata and Menma themselves.

Hinata quickly rushed towards Menma and managed to remove half of the rods, but was thrown away like a rag doll by Pain.

But this time, Pain put in more effort into slamming her down.

"Hinata!!!"

Menma was afraid.

He felt as if there was a lump in his throat.

"No! No no no! Hinata's- No! Get up!"

"Hinata!!" He kept yelling "Hinata!! Oi, Hinata!!!"

Menma was desperately calling her name as an attempt to save her from death.

Hinata groaned.

She quickly remembered everything and saw Menma.

With what little strength she had left, ignoring the ache of her body and what could be a concussion, she stood back up to her feet and took quick steps.

Pain knew he already won against her, and so did Menma and Hinata. Yet still, Hinata kept on insisting.

"Why won't you stop, Hinata?" Menma asked, his voice forced out, as if a plea to make her stop hurting herself for him.

Hinata dropped to her knees as she reached him and grabbed the rod by his hands.

She found it hard to breathe.

"Why fight me to save him?" Pain asked.

And there. She stopped.

She looked at Menma with soft eyes, "Because... For you, Menma... I won't ever give up... Because... That is my ninja way"

And as if in slow motion, Menma watched in horror as Hinata was once again thrown into the air and slammed down to the ground.

But this time.

It was by Pain's feet.

He then raised a black rod in the air and stabbed Hinata before Menma's very eyes.

"Traitors like her deserves... Death"

And it was like something snapped.

Menma let the Kyūbi take over without even second guessing himself.

**\- - -**

In just a few seconds, his transformation would be complete.

Menma held the seal in his fingers.

 **"That's right, Menma"** The Kyūbi said **"Make everyone perish!!!"**

_"Everyone?"_

Menma then recalled Hinata.

She was hurt.

"No!" Menma let go of the seal "Not Hinata!!"

**\- - -**

Back in reality, Pain gasped as the Kyūbi suddenly disappeared.

Then when the smoke cleared up, there Menma was, glaring down at Pain.

"I won't run away, not anymore!" Menma yelled "But you hurt Hinata, and I shall take my revenge!"

**\- - -**

Sakura frowned as she healed Hinata.

 _"You really do love Menma-kun, huh?"_ She thought, she then tisked and thought _"Shanaro!!! You were too reckless! I could have done better!!"_

**\- - -**

Nagato was taken down by Menma.

But that was hours ago.

Right now, Menma's just limping back. He was exhausted.

Then he dropped to the ground.

_"I'll just come back tomorrow"_

He took in a deep breath and out.

Then he felt a foot slightly tap his head.

"Hey, you do know that you're heading towards Konoha, right?"

Menma suddenly felt all his energy return.

He looked up and saw Hinata with her hand on her waist.

He could see that her entire torso was wrapped and slightly stained already and her jacket was tied around her waist.

"I didn't know you liked the taste of dirt" She said as she tapped his head again with her foot.

Menma tisked. He slowly got up and towered over her.

"You are too reckless" Menma hissed "You get your ass handed to you the moment I can't do anything. The hell, Hinata"

Hinata blushed red, she stomped her foot and yelled "The hell back to you! I was trying to protect you, you ass hole! That's how you thank me?!"

Menma closed his eyes and continued walking ahead.

Hinata huffed and marched beside him in fury.

 _"I won't let anyone hurt you ever again, Hinata. Even if that means never leaving Konoha to be near you"_ Menma thought as they continued to walk back to Konoha _"And that's on my nindo, our ninja way"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Hey hey!! Author 1 here!
> 
> Good news! The next chapter's not a flashback! Hahahaha!
> 
> Now you really have to stay tuned!
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


	7. Is Hinata Knitting?

  
"Yoohoo!"

Hiashi growled at the sound of his annoying voice.

"Hi there, papa! I'm glad you came to visit me!"

"Shut up! Don't call me 'papa'!" Hiashi growled "I will not give you Hinata!"

"Oh? But it was destined, papa"

"No!" The Hyūga yelled as he leaped up and attacked the man, only for him to disappear.

"No? Big mistake. You're not going to stand in the way of true love and destiny, _papa_ "

"What?!"

\- - -

With his hands in his pockets, he was walking towards his house.

Alone? Absolutely not.

Being a shinobi develops the person's senses, and, unfortunately for him, he was very good at knowing if he was followed.

So when he heard quick footsteps behind him, he rolled his eyes.

No matter how bad Menma was in the past, he just never seem to be able to pry off fangirls.

"Menma-senpai!"

"I love you, Menma-senpai!"

"Marry meeeee!!!"

He thought it would become easier.

It's not like he turned against his village and tried to destroy it. No. He just tried leaving it once, and he thought that would tarnish his reputation and get rid of those stalkers.

And, he thought that, two years after the war, the fangirls and admirers would calm down. But no, everyone from the shinobi world would visit Konoha only to follow him and see him live. So apparently not.

It was like meeting Hinata or Sakura at every corners of Konoha. What a nightmare.

Menma glared up at the academy girls pushing each other just to see him walk by the academy.

"They should really be careful..." Ino nervously said as they watched the girls from afar, Shikamaru laughed and said "No way! If they don't pull stunts like that, Menma would never even spare them a glance!"

"How shallow of you to think that way, Shikamaru" Choji groaned.

\- - -

Hinata shyly blushed as she ran out of the store, not wanting anyone to know what she was up to.

But then she bumped into her biggest rival. By forehead, at least.

"Hey, watch it, blindy!" Sakura screeched, Hinata growled and yelled "You were in the way, forehead!"

Suddenly, Sakura's eyes darted down to the yarn on the pavement. She bent down and held it in her hand, Hinata gasped and tried to snatch it back, "Hey! Give it!"

"Are you... Knitting?" The nosy Haruno asked. The feisty Hyūga pouted and successfully snatched it from the grasp of her worst rival, "Y-Yeah... Don't tell anyo- I mean- It's none of your business, bitch!"

"Why? You gonna use it to surprise Menma-kun?" The pinkette taunted, causing the bluenette to blush, Sakura was surprised and said "O-Oh... You are..."

Hinata looked down. Sakura then tisked and said "Whatever. It's not like he'll like you back, anyway. He won't even consider loving anyone! If he does, then he would've loved me years and years ago!"

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked, pain evident in her voice, Sakura then continued "Are you that stupid? Girls from all around the world would come all the way here just to take pictures of him! And gifts after gifts, shanaro! He could start his own store with it!"

The Hyūga was silent, Sakura then groaned and said "Whatever. It's not like you'll see it anyway, you're as blind as you look"

And with that, she walked away, not before bumping shoulders with the shorter girl.  
Hinata suddenly felt an air of determination, "Hell with what she thinks! I can do it!"

And with that, she dashed off.

\- - -

Sakura sighed as she walked down the streets _"Maybe I was too harsh... No! It's Hinata! She's the meanest girl ever!"_

"Hey there, kitty~" Sasuke flirted as he slung his arm over Sakura's shoulder, an irk mark formed on her forehead before she punched him away into the sky "Fuck off, Sasuke! Strut in the desert or something!"

\- - -

Hinata knitted nights after nights. It was as if it was the only thing she's been doing lately.  
She didn't know how long it should be, but for Menma, she would never stop.

Hinata sighed.

 _"Maybe Sakura's right..."_ She thought _"What if he never does love me back?"_

And with that thought, she finished the scarf, _"Still! I would never give up!"_

And just like that, she wrapped it in a gift wrap and ran out.

_"I put my heart and soul into making this! I'm sure my feelings would get through to Menma-kun!"_

She ran down the stairs and down the hall.

_"Or would they? It is already late..."_

She thought as she walked back.

_"No! It has to be tonight!"_

_"Or tomorrow"_

_"Tonight!"_

_"Or..."_

Hinata groaned in frustration as she stopped on her tracks.

"You can do it, Hinata-nee-sama!" A soft and delicate voice said.

Hinata then looked at Hanabi in surprise as she slowly walked towards her.

Hanabi bowed before her sister.

"Hanabi, what are you doing up late at night?" Hinata asked gently, worry evident in her voice, "You might catch a cold out there"

"I'm sorry for worrying you, elder sister. But I am fine" Hanabi assured in her usual dainty tone "Elder sister, you must trust yourself as much as I trust you. You can do it... If love is true and just, it can overcome any obstacles. Even hearts of stone"

Hinata smiled gently at her sister, she giggled and patted her sister's head, saying "You're right, Hanabi... I will do it tonight"

And with that, Hinata walked off confidently while Hanabi smiled and clapped her hands together "The best of luck to you, Hinata-nee-sama!"

As the heiress finally disappeared from the scene, Neji sighed as he walked out of the shadows, "I shall keep an eye on Hinata-sama"

"Oh please do" Hanabi sighed "We don't want her strangling Sakura-san or any random admirer again..."

Neji nodded and jogged to catch up to his dear little cousin.

Let's just say, eversince the war, Neji became a new man. Much like an over protective brother who is very stoic compared to his former uncivilized and perverted self.

As if because of the things that he did during the war, Neji's old self died. As if _he was reborn in this world_.

\- - -

Hinata headed towards the direction Menma was most often found. The Ichiraku's Ramen stand.

And sure enough, there he was. But he wasn't alone.

"Hey! Back off my man before I kill you!" Hinata yelled as she jogged towards Menma's side, glaring at Sakura who was clutching at the silent man's arm, the pinkette growled and screeched "How dare you?!?! Who invited you?!"

"U-Um... Hinata-san, would you like to join us?" Ino asked, trying to keep the two from strangling each other, "I-It is a wonderful evening after all..."

"Hm... Actually, I do" Hinata said as she shoved Sakura off of her seat and sat on it "Thank you for the invitation"

"What the fuck?!" Sakura yelled as she stood back up, Shikamaru only laughed and said "Hehehe, cat fight"

"Stay out of this!" The two hot-blooded women yelled, making him snicker and continue eating instead, Choji rolled his eyes and scolded his friend "You should know when to make remarks, idiot"

Menma couldn't help but feel irritated, all he wanted to do was have a nice and quiet dinner, but then Sakura and the others just had to come along and ruin it for him.

He left money for his ramen on the table and started to walk away, Hinata gasped and called out for him, "Menma-kun!"

"Shanaro! Look what you did! You made Menma-kun leave!" Sakura yelled "Stop shoving yourself onto him! It's not like he likes you!"

"Neither does he to you!" Hinata hissed, Sakura then slammed a fist on the table and yelled "And you think just because you decided to knit him something as a Rinne Festival present, he'll accept you for who you are?! What the hell are you even knitting?! Probably something so predictable like a cliche and itchy scarf!!!"

Everything suddenly felt ten times colder than before as everyone fell silent. The tension was suffocating, it made all of those in its radius find it hard to breathe.

Hinata then felt blood rush to her face in embarassment. She didn't want anyone to know!

Then her embarassment turned to anger. She told her not to tell anyone and it was none of her business! Was Sakura really this unreliable?!

"I'll fuckin' kill you, you walkin' forehead!!!" Hinata yelled as she jumped, Sakura's eyes widen, but, luckily for her, the bluenette was caught by the back of her shirt whilst in mid air and was off her feet like a kitten carried to safety by its mother.

"Let me go, let me go! Let me at her, Neji!!" Hinata yelled as she twisted and kicked around, trying to loosen Neji's grip on the back of her shirt, Neji sternly shook his head and walked away, carefully shifting her on to his shoulder, "It's time to go, Hinata-sama"

"No! No!" Hinata whined as she tried to get off of her cousin's shoulder, ruthlessly hitting his back but to no avail on rscaping and finally just let it be, and just to acknowledge her rival in the rudest way possible, she then threw a middle finger at Sakura for a good three seconds before using it to point at her "This is not over, Haruno!!!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Hi! It's author A!
> 
> So, that's chapter 1
> 
> We see pretty much every important characters and how they behave.
> 
> Toneri is still the weirdo, Menma is the quite, Hinata and Sakura hate each other and Neji is alive!
> 
> How things will turn out for all of them?
> 
> See ya!!
> 
> -ChloeLaPomme


	8. The Straw that Broke the Camel's Back

"Let me go, let me go! Let me at her, Neji!!" Hinata yelled as she twisted and kicked around, trying to loosen Neji's grip on the back of her shirt, Neji sternly shook his head and walked away, carefully shifting her on to his shoulder, "It's time to go, Hinata-sama"

"No! No!" Hinata whined as she tried to get off of her cousin's shoulder, ruthlessly hitting his back but to no avail on rscaping and finally just let it be, and just to acknowledge her rival in the rudest way possible, she then threw a middle finger at Sakura for a good three seconds before using it to point at her "This is not over, Haruno!!!"

\- - -

As they finally a good distance away of which Neji deemed to be safe enough, he finally set Hinata down to her feet.

She hissed like a ferocious kitten and shoved him away, "What the hell, Neji?! You should have let me kill that traitor of a bitch!"

"Do you actually think Menma would like you if you killed one of his friends? One of his closest at that" Neji asked in a scolding tone, making her stop and cross her arms with a pout. The brunette then glared down at her and said "You don't even stick to what you say. You always taunt everyone who flirts with Menma and threaten that you'll kill them, yet you don't do anything and wuss out of the idea like the scaredy-cat you are"

The female Hyūga was silent as she stood fuming in her place. He then placed his hands on her shoulders and said "Do you not think that if you stay true to yourself, he would fall in love with the true you?"

"Then what the fuck are you saying?! That I seem fake and I'm just pretending to be strong?!" Hinata exploded "Fuck you, Neji! Fuck you! In fact! Fuck Sakura and all the other hoes! Fuck them! Fuck everyone! Fuck everything!!!"

Neji didn't like all those vulgar things she screamed. Which just proved him his point more.

Hinata huffed and stomped off, only to freeze in place when her cousin spoke, "You're afraid you'll lose. Lose an argument. Lose a fight. Lose Menma. You think if you act strong, talk strong, and come strong, you'd always win"

Hinata clenched her fist and shook her head, she then turned on her heal and ran, _"I'm not afraid! I'm not afraid! I'm not afraid!!!"_

_**\- - -** _

"Such a beautiful moon! Yes! Yes!" Sai cheered as he drew a happy face on the poorly made drawing "The bigger the moon, the bigger the smile! Yes! Such amazing art I have made!"

He looked at his... Bellow average, drawing with such pride and air of confidence.

"Whoa!!"

Sai hugged his painting as a huge creature flew passed him, he gasped dramatically and pointed a finger "That's Hinata's sister, Hanabi!!! I need to save her at once! Superbeast Scroll!"

A poorly-drawn bird came to life, he jumped on it and flew after the kidnappers.

"Such skill!" Sai gasped at the amazing flying the man did with his own bird.

And then, a glowing orb came at him out of nowhere, blowing him off the sky.

\- - -

"So? What do you think?" Kushina asked as she raised the green with white striped scarf "Do you think he'll like it?"

"Of course he will" Minato smiled lovingly "You made it for him, afterall. Menma will appreciate it"

"Ooh! That's great, dattebane!" The red head squealed as she jumped up and down, only to stop when they heard knocks, she looked at her husband and said "I'll go check who it is. It might be Menma!"

Kushina excitedly jogged towards the door and opened it, she then gasped and looked at the person by the doorstep happily "Oh, Hinata! What a lovely surprise! What brings you here?"

"I-I, um... Actually, I actually came to see your son, Menma, actually... Actually..." Hinata said as she shyly avoided eye contact, she then pinched herself and hissed under her breath "Did I actually repeat 'actually' four times?"

Kushina found the girl funny, she laughed and said "Of course, Hinata! Menma's not home yet, so you're welcome to stay and wait inside, it is pretty cold, dattebane!"

Hinata doesn't understand why, but everytime that she's around Kushina and Minato, she's always so nervous and stuttery. What's up with her?! It's almost like she's the complete opposite of herself!

She then tried looking at Kushina, only to spot a scarf in her arms, "Oh, um... That's a lovely scarf"

"Oh, really? You really think so?" Hinata asked, Kushina nodded and looked at the scarf with such hope "Thank you. It's for Menma, really... I'm pretty sure he'll love it, too, dattebane! He loves the one who made it, afterall..."

"O-Oh..." Hinata muttered.

Oh.

Of course...

Of course! How can she be so stupid?! Of course Menma's already in love with someone else! And it wasn't her! Of course!

Who in their right mind would even ever think about loving someone like Hyūga Hinata?

Hinata then looked down sadly. She shook her head and forced a smile on her face, "Oh, I forgot. I-I can't stay long, I still have training a-and meetings... Sorry for wasting your time. Good night, Kushina..."

She then gave a small bow and turned around, only to bump into a strong chest, she glared up and saw Menma looking at her with zero interest evident in his eyes.

Her lips tugged down to a frown as she bit her bottom lip, she shook her head and ran passed him.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Menma asked as he caught her wrist in his hand, she snatched her hand back without looking at him and growled "Nothing! Leave me alone!"

And with that, she ran away. Menma frowned. What's wrong with her?

He turned to the porch and looked at his mother, she shrugged. Both clueless as ever.

**\- - -**

Hinata punched a tree hard and cried, "Of course! Of course!"

That one punch caused her hand to bruise and bleed. She never really punches as she _is_ a Hyūga, the only times she does are when she doesn't want to kill with her weapon of a technique.

She then slumped down to a swing and threw the red scarf to the ground, she glared at it with teary eyes, she snarled and clenched her skirt, letting the tears fall free, "Why did I even knit shit like that?! Like he'll ever like me!"

With a heavy sigh, she buried her face into her hands. _"Sakura was right..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Hey hey, everyone! It's author 1!
> 
> Things never calm down, huh?
> 
> Haha, too bad... None of the characters are taking a break anytime soon hahahaha!
> 
> Anyway, that's it for now! Stay tuned!
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


	9. The Beginning of Everything

Hinata punched a tree hard and cried, "Of course! Of course!"

She then slumped down to a swing and threw the red scarf to the ground, she glared at it with teary eyes, she snarled and clenched her skirt, letting the tears fall free, "Why did I even knit that shit?! Like he'll ever like me!"

With a heavy sigh, she burried her face into her hands. _"Sakura was right..."_

"Hiya!"

Unable to identify the voice that originated behind her, Hinata turned with great speed and caught the person off guard by grabbing the collar of his robe.

She stared at him, realising she didn't know him.

They never talked before and he dared to be in her personal space without her knowing or agreeing to it?! Was he suicidal?!

And if that is so - How dare he give her such a sweet close eyed smile as if she didn't scare him?! She's Hyūga Fuckin' Hinata!

"Boop~"

She suddenly felt a finger press on her cheek, she slapped away the hand and glared up, only to be met with a grinning man.

"What the hell is wrong with you, weirdo?!"

"I'm sorry, did I surprise you?" He laughed as he scratched the back of his head "You just looked upset, so I thought that maybe I could cheer you up a bit"

Who was this creep? Hinata only glared at him. Looks suspicious.

He then squatted down and picked up the dirty scarf, he then smiled and said "You know, since you don't seem to want this scarf, I'll be more than be happy to have it as mine! I'll take care of it, I promise!"

"Fine. Whatever. Just take it and leave! I don't need it anymore!" Hinata yelled.

He then pouted and said "You seem upset..."

"Isn't it obvious, douchebag?!" She hissed, the man looked hurt, she only tisked.

"Well..." He shook his head, his kind smile returning to his pale features, "I think I can help you. I can make you happy!"

He then reached out his free hand and gave her an inviting smile, bowing "My name's Toneri, and I have really really liked you for a long time now! I've been gathering up my courage to talk to you, I've waited so long just for this moment"

Hinata looked at him weirdly. Surely, she haven't seen him before in Konoha, and she has the all-seeing eyes!

Plus, white hair, white robe, and who the hell knows what kinda-creepo's eyes he had - that she couldn't even see because of the lack of proper lighting - and pale skin wasn't something really usual to see in the street.

Maybe he was just a civilian who just arrived in the village. But such a weird looking civilian he was...

“What kind of a creep are you?!” she yelled as she harshly took back the scarf she made.

She changed her mind! No creepo albino dude's takin' her supposed gift for her beloved!

Then his inviting smile turned into a sad smile but Hinata wasn't buying it and was ready to leave, but then, she heard him say, "I'm... I'm really lonely too... I... I want someone to be with... A-And, um... If you let me... We could make each other happier, and we'll create a whole new world together!"

Hinata couldn't help but stare in awe. Was he serious? She couldn't find a single trace of lie on his face. Such an innocent face.

"What do you say?" He asked, his smile turning into a childish excitement smile.

Why wasn't he mad? She screamed at him yet he was still smiling. He was just so kind.

Suddenly a glow blinded her and Hinata's hand slowly lifted, reaching out for his hand.

"Hinata!!!"

As she came back to her senses, they both gasped as an intruding blonde came rushing in.

The man hissed and grabbed her, "Let's go!"

Again that glowing thing... What was that?

Menma felt his blood boil as he heard Hinata yelp, somehow losing her conciousness as she was passed to a man with his entire face covered in wraps.

He threw a punch at the white haired man and yelled "Let her go!!"

He was surprised as the man disappeared like a ghost, but then noticed men that looked similar to the one who ran away with Hinata charging at him from all directions.

He took out a kunai and started to ruthlessly slice men after men, and then jumped over a roof to retrieve Hinata, forming a single hand seal, "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Hinata groaned as she opened her eyes, only to be surprised that she was being abducted.

"Hinata!!" She heard Menma call, she gasped and called back "Menma-kun!"

She snarled and released chakra from all her chakra points, "Rotation!"

The man was smashed into bits, sending her off flying.

She yelped as she harshly rolled down a roof far from the ground, the scarf that was conveniently in her arms got caught in a sharp stone somehow embedded on the roof.

She grasped on it just on time, stopping her from falling, the scarf acting as a rope.

She groaned.

That white haired guy, the glowing thing he used to knock her out must've ciphoned off a fraction of her chakra!

Now she couldn't even use enough chakra to stick to the roof.

Menma then saw her and quickly slid down on his feet, "What the fuck, Hinata?! That technique at that time was too reckless!!"

"Fuck you! Just help me up!" Hinata growled, but before he could even reach close enough, a glowing chakra orb was shot, making him jump back.

 _"It's like a_ _throwable_ _rasengan!"_ Menma hissed as he found the source of the jutsu.

It made multiple more in a circular formation and continued throwing it at him.

Menma formed a rasengan in his hand and jumped to the man, maneuvering himself in midair to dodge each orbs, and then clashing in with the man, "Rasengan!!!"

All the while, Hinata's hands started to slip from the scarf. And now that her chakra was weak, she could feel the cold get to her faster. She hissed as she pulled herself up.

 _"Damn... My arms are going numb!"_ She thought, but decided to ignore it and persevere through the freezing cold.

Only to realize that the scarf gave up and ripped.

"Kyaaaaah!!!!"

"Hinata!!!"

Luckily, Menma arrived just on time to save her.

\- - -

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Menma yelled as he paced around "Why were you even talking to a stranger like that?! You could've been taken! Just because of that creep! Now, look! You're hurt!"

Hinata sat silent, letting his words sink in as he yelled out his frustrations.

Menma then stopped and noticed how gloomy she was, her eyes glued on her ripped scarf.

He groaned. He squatted down in front of her and inspected her scarf, "Great. He even ruined your scarf. Dammit... Who was that guy, anyway?! Were you dealing with some sort of cult-thing?! Why were all of them wearing matching pyjamas?!"

"Stop yelling! I don't even know who he is!" Hinata snapped back, Menma clenched his fist and yelled "Then why were you talking to him?! What did he say to you, huh?!"

Hinata gasped as she felt him grab her shoulders, his eyes piercing into hers, "Did he threaten you?"

Hinata could only shake her head slowly, losing her voice.

"W-Why?" She asked as she tisked "It's not like he threatened _you_ "

"He appeared, he threatened me" Menma hissed "He touched you. He provoked me"

Hinata's mouth fell agape. There were no traces of lie on his face either. At that moment, her heart fluttered hard. Was she dreaming?

"Stay away from her"

They both turned to the direction of the voice.There, floating steady in midair, was the white haired man with his eyebrows heavily furrowed, "She doesn't belong to you!"

"Dammit!" Menma hissed, springing to his feet and punching him. Only for the strange man to disappear and reappear farther, yelling "You don't deserve her!"

Then, his head turned towards Hinata, making Menma growl and put a protective arm out to hide her from the man with closed eyes.

"Don't worry. I'll be back, my dear Byakūgan Princess" He gave her a sweet smile before disappearing.

Menma was about to throw yet another fit, but only stopped, hearing a strange sound.

Hinata gasped as a meteor tore through the atmosphere.

She forced herself up on her feet and followed the sight of the meteor, Menma rushing to her side, also watching in shock the meteor came in contact with the forest close behind the Hokage mountain.

Menma stood in front of Hinata, shielding her from the strong wind and the loud explosion.   
As the impact died down, Menma quickly turned to Hinata in shock.

She had her hands clenched on his coat as she frantically looked up at him with horror painted in her eyes, "What was that, Menma-kun?!"

Menma didn't know. He could only stand and stare at her in shock as she panicked, shaking him by the cloth of his sleeve.

\- - -

"It's okay, Hinata"

A longing smile formed his lips.

"We're gonna make a beautiful world together"

Then he opened his eye-less sockets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Hello dear readers,  
> In today's chapter we had:  
> Toneri and Hinata's first meeting  
> Action  
> Tension  
> And of course, Hinata and Menma yelling at each other haha.  
> Things start to move and I hope you still like the story :)
> 
> Don't forget to comment and have a great week.
> 
> -ChloeLaPomme


	10. Mission

Menma stood in front of Hinata, shielding her from the strong wind and the loud explosion.   
As the impact died down, Menma quickly turned to Hinata in shock.

She had her hands clenched on his coat as she frantically looked up at him with horror coating her eyes, "What was that, Menma-kun?!"

Menma didn't know. He could only stand and stare at her in shock as she panicked, shaking him by the cloth of his sleeve.

\- - -

"My beloved students" Kakashi said as he grinned behind his mask "I believe in you three! That's why I'm tasking you to this mission!"

"Yeah, then why are Shikamaru, Sai, and Neji here, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.   
With an irk mark on his head, Kakashi slammed his hands on the table and "It's Hokage-sama! Not Kakashi-sensei!"

Shizune glared at him and hissed "Behave like a Hokage!"

Inside the Hokage's exceptionally messy office was Kakashi, the proud Hokage, Shizune, his assistant, Shiho, the head scientist, Sakura, Sasuke, Sai, Shikamaru, Neji, and of course, Menma, the ninjas tasked for the mission.

"Anyway" Kakashi nervously chuckled "I just thought you might need an extra hand. Or three more pairs of hands, that is"

"Is this about the meteor?" Menma asked, wanting to go strait to the point.

Shikamaru laughed and said "Finally! Meat are finally raining upon us!!!"

"Shanaro!!!"

"No" Neji said as he crossed his arms "This is about Hinata-sama's little sister"

"Well... Both actually" Kakashi said, Sai gasped and twirled in joy "Wonderful! We get to overwork ourselves with two missions at the same time and fail because of it again!!!"

"Your mission is to find and retrieve Hyūga Hanabi" Kakashi said, ignoring them, as he waved around an out-dated picture of eight year old Hanabi energetically throwing peace signs at the camera.

"What does Hanabi have to do with the meteor?" Menma asked, frowning. Neji's eyes slanting in agreement.

"Well, it's just a wild guess!" Kakashi said as he patted his stomach "I could feel it here that I'm right!"

Shiho tisked, she then eyed (look up "glare") Neji and said "Hold out your hand, Hyūga"

Neji simply obliged. Hinata-sama's sister is in danger, he has to act fast. Then, a clock appeared in his palm, catching everyone's attention. In the professional silence of the young shinobi, Kakashi and Shiho proceeded to explain the function of clock.

After the briefing, they all nodded.

"Alright! Go on and save the Hyūga girl!" Kakashi cheerfully yelled.

But Menma spoke up, "Wait"

"Huh?"

"Shouldn't Hinata be here?" He asked as he crossed his arms over his broad chest, "This is her sister we're talking about. It's not like her to not do anything about this. She has the right to come with, dattebayo"

"Her words exactly, Menma. She already said that" Kakashi sighed "But sadly - just after I politely and extra nicely asked her to leave - I had the ANBU force- I uh... _Escort_ her out this morning. She already was demanding to come along. But... We can't, she has to take over at the Hyūga Compound, knowing how destructive and boisterous they could be, especially when unsupervised"

"Did something happen?" Sai gasped dramatically. Kakashi nodded and said "Hyūga Hiashi is missing. Most probably lost in the desert. That's the route he and some of his men took to a 'classified clan stuff' before he upped and disappeared on his daughters"

"I know she's terrible and all..." Sakura said as she sadly crossed her arms "But no one deserves to be alone... Her father and sister are both possibly in danger... And she's forced to just sit at home and wait for them to come back? No one should feel like that..."

Sakura looked down. As much as she wasn't getting along with Hinata, she - being an orphan - hated solitude the most.

All of them weren't surprised. The medical kunoichi was all about not being alone.

Maybe that's why she was obsessed with Menma in the first place, because she didn't want him to continue being a loner. That's why she didn't choose Sasuke. Because he already chose not to be alone, and instead, he chose to surround himself with all the wrong kinds of bitches.

But that's why the Uchiha was like that. He wanted to show Sakura he wasn't alone so that she would like him. Was he wrong?

Sasuke looked down. Of course he was wrong, he was always wrong.

"Please..." She begged "She shouldn't just sit and look pretty when the people she loves are gone and possibly in the hands of bad guys! She better suck it up and not just let Menma-kun and the others to carry her burden for her!"

"I'll look for Hyūga Hiashi!" Sasuke yelled as he raised a hand to volunteer "Rest assured that I can find him! Please, just let Hinata join the mission!"

"Sasuke..." Sakura gasped in shock, she then clenched her fist and yelled "If this is another thing you're doing to try and hook up with Hina-!"

"No" Sasuke said as he looked at her "You don't want her to be waiting alone, right? If that's what you want, then I'll do this"

"Let Sasuke do it" Menma pushed to support his friend who, for the first time, decided on his own to do the right thing, "Hinata needs to be on this mission"

Kakashi didn't want to open his mouth.

If Hinata was out of the village, that would be another powerhouse out of the village and the less powerful people he will have, the more difficult it will get to protect the village when more meteors begins to fall again.

But his stomach...

"Okay" Kakashi said as he smiled "I trust you guys and your judgements"

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei!" All of them said in unison, making him pull his hair and scream "Call me 'Hokage-sama', dammit!!!"

\- - -

Hinata folded her clothes neatly one by one. Stress working. Her specialty. By the time she gets crushed by a meteor, she was pretty sure the entire compound would have been sparkling before destroyed.

She then felt a familiar presence behind her.

"What do you want? Came to rub that you're going on a mission to save my sister while I'm stuck in my room heavily guarded by ANBU?!" She hissed as she threw a kunai Menma's direction, which he easily catched. He then looked at her blankly and asked "Don't you want to come?"

"Of course I do!" Hinata yelled "I keep trying to escape, but the ANBU- How are you in my room?!?!"

His blue eyes soften for half a second at the sight of the Hinata he always knew. The one who would never back off and stay behind, even when she was the target.

Exactly like when she was young and that someone tried to kidnap her. It was in the textbooks, her name down in history under 'The Hyūga Affair' and 'Konohagakure-Kumogakure'. Almost everyone knows her for it.

"You're coming with us, Hinata" Menma said, returning to his usual state.

Hinata felt overwhelmed. Menma-kun came just to tell her that?!

"Th-Thank you... Thank you, Menma-kun!" She cheered as she stood up "I'll get dressed quickly and let's head off"

"Don't take long" Menma said "Your sister needs saving, dattebayo"

"Right!"

\- - -

Five poorly drawn superbeast birds stood proudly before the Konoha gates and six ninjas stood before the Konoha walls.

Namikaze Menma, Hyūga Hinata, Hyūga Neji, Nara Shikamaru, Haruno Sakura, Sai, and Uchiha Sasuke.

"Hinata-sama and I would go in pair while the rest would go on alone just in case-" Neji was cut when Menma jumped on a bird and reached his hand down to assist Hinata up, wanting her to sit with him instead of her cousin.

"Well, Menma got the strategy down" The Nara laughed as Neji only sighed and decided to let it be.

And like the others, Sakura did not fail to notice this, jealousy bubbling in the depths of her heart.

"Good luck, Sakura" Sasuke said, snapping Sakura out of her dark thoughts.

Then Sakura remembered something, "If you're doing this because I told you to strut in the desert yesterday, it's not working"

"For you, Sakura? I'll do anything you say" Sasuke said, he then turned towards Hinata, both her and Menma glaring down at him as he smirked flirtatiously, "Consider your father found and safe, my neko"

He turned back to Sakura, bowing deeply before he flickered away, leaving her surprised.

"I shall lead the way up to where I lost sight of the dear young mistress Hyūga!" Sai stated dramatically.

Neji then raised a hand and pulling it down, signaling that they were then departing.   
Little did they know, they'll be going somewhere 'unearthly'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> And finally! The mission to save Hanabi and the planet Earth kicks off! Along with Sasuke's volunteer mission!
> 
> And Kakashi's stomach... Should they really trust it?
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


	11. Does Menma-kun Really Like Girls Who Knit?

It was green and it was right in front of her eyes, and Hinata couldn't help but wonder who Menma's scarf was from. It was _taunting_ her.

Obviously enough, it's not from Sakura since she voiced out the ridicule of knitting. That's good.

But... Does that mean that there has been someone she doesn't know about?

Menma noticed the fear in her eyes.

With his back turned, he sighed and said "Don't worry, that guy's not gonna get you"

"I'm not afraid of that guy!" Hinata screamed.

Menma then turned sharply with a snarl as he yelled back "Why? You like him?!"

"How dare you!! Are you really doubting me?! Are you saying you don't believe me everytime I tell you that I love you?!" The Hyūga yelled with so much assumptions "That's it! Take me to Neji! I wanna be with Neji! NII-SAN!!! NEJI HELP!!!"

How dare he doubt her loyalty?!

"No! Shut up!" He harshly said as he pointed a finger at her "I'm not gonna let Neji take you! You're an idiot if you think you're leaving my sight! Especially with that pervert out there!"

"Neji's not a pervert anymore!" Hinata hissed "Quit insulting me and my brother!"

"I'm not talking about your fuckin' cousin!" Menma hissed back "That bastard of a guy last night, he's out there wanting to take you. I'm not just going to let that happen, dattebayo!"

Hinata groaned, she then pushed his shoulder and made him face ahead instead "Whatever! Obviously, you don't trust me enough! At least keep your eyes where you're going to keep us from crushing into a fucking tall tree or somethin'!"

With a huff of frustration, the Hyūga activated her Byakūgan.

Fine! If he didn't trust her, then she will think only about Hanabi and nothing else during this mission. She will show him that she could take care of her sister and of herself!

Immediately finding a familiar object and instead of doing what she thought of doing, she grabbed his shoulder and pointed down "There!"

\- - -

With a quick kick to the pile of snow, she revealed a delicately kept kunai designed beautifully, unsuited for battle.

"Dammit! This is my sister's kunai!" Hinata whimpered as she caressed Hanabi's kunai in her hands, "They really took her..."

Tears pooled at the corner of her eyes. She was way too selfish. If she didn't leave home that night to fool herself into properly confessing, she could've stayed home and protected her dainty little sister.

Menma sighed and squatted down next to her, gently taking the kunai from her grasp and snapping open her bag, "Here, I'll put this in for you..."

His blue eyes then spotted that same red scarf from last night, "You bring your scarf along and you don't wear it... Aren't you cold?"

Hinata felt her face turning red, "Shut up!" She jerked away as she stood up, "It ripped, remember? Just take us to the others so they'd know they took her this way!"

\- - -

The cold air hit their faces as they travelled in deeper and deeper into the unfamiliar route of the snowy woods' sky. Since the discovery of the kunai, they found nothing more until Hinata turned her Byakūgan to look straight forward.

"What the fuck..." Menma heard Hinata say under her breath before she yelled "Hey, Neji! Do you see that?! It's glowing, see?!"

"What is it?!" Menma asked, not wanting to be left clueless, Hinata clutched his shoulders from behind and screamed "It's a glowing fuckin' spring inside a god damn cave!"

"Let's check that cave, then!" Neji yelled back before he and his bird dove down.

"Right!" All of them replied back before they dove down, following their assigned leader.

\- - -

Hinata was quivering in confusion.

What was up with this mission?! Why are there so many things that almost seemed to be especially made to mess with her?! Why can't her Byakūgan see?! Since when was the Byakūgan blind to anything?!

Neji looked back at her worriedly. He, too, is confused. Why can't they see past the spring?

"So?" Sakura poked into the situation "What do you guys see?"

"Our Byakūgan are being distorted" Neji said calmly "We'll have to dive in to see what's down there"

"Aaalright! Let's dive in!" Shikamaru laughed stupidly at his own poorly thought out joke, Sai then stepped back and studied the scene first "Let me just remember this beautiful sight so that I could paint this once we get home!"

"Are you done?" Neji groaned, Sai enthusiastically nodded and said "Yep!"

Hinata sighed as she rubbed her hands together to prepare herself diving into ice cold water, "Fine, for Hanabi"

Menma nodded, but hesitated, he then removed his scarf, Sai tilted his head and asked "Why are you removing that? Isn't it cold?"

"This scarf is special" Menma said bluntly.

Sakura then flinched. Whoops. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe Menma-kun does like girls who knit.

Hinata tisked while Neji and Sai were surprised by what Menma actually just said.

"Oh, cool!" Shikamaru laughed out "Look, look! Up is down and down is up! The water's warm and it doesn't get us wet! What makes sense anymore, right?!"

Neji only rolled his eyes before jumping in, followed by his members.

But something seemed off. Menma could see through the crystal clear water as if it was just thin mist.

What was that bright thing? ****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> They can't talk to each other without yelling, can they? Haha
> 
> That's chapter 5 and chapter 6 is published too because author 1 decided to play the hero last week and now, she made me believe in humanity again
> 
> Anyway, ready for some genjutsu?
> 
> -ChloeLaPomme


	12. Menma's Reflection

"If the world were to end tomorrow, who would you spend your last day with?" Iruka lazily said before bringing his face to his hand with a sigh, "Uh.. There's paper and stuff... Just write down the name"

"How more stupid can this class get?" Menma huffed out in annoyance "There is no way the world is gonna end"

 _"I know I really have to behave"_ Menma thought as he glared at his teacher _"I want to become the perfect Hokage, afterall. But... This thing is useless, dattebayo..."_

"Oh, I dunno" Iruka deadpanned and said "Uh... Just suppose the moon is going to fall, I guess"

Shikamaru sighed dreamily and thought "If we're gonna die being squished, I'd rather it to be a big piece of meat than the moon"

"Shikamaru, food again?" Choji asked in annoyance, causing the entire class to laugh, except for those reserved ones.

Suddenly, everything became a lot more dim.

"Look! The moon's falling!"

Menma couldn't believe what he heard, he then looked out the window and saw that it was true. The moon's really falling.

He then slammed his hands down and pointed an accusing finger, thinking of the best last words he could say, "Great! You jinxed us, Iruka!"

The moon crushed the Academy.

The smoke began clearing out and Menma coughed out the smoke.

"Alright alright alriiiiiight!!! Namikaze Menma versus Inuzuka Kiba, everyoooooone!!!"

"Eh?" Menma said as he looked around "This is the Chūnin Exams..."

"You can do it, you two!!!" Hinata yelled as she grabbed on the railing to cheer for both of the boys.

"Be careful, Menma-kun!" Sakura warned as she, too, clenched on the railing.

"Hold on..." Menma was confused of what was happening, Kiba then yelled "I'm gonna use all-fours jutsu like a real cat!!!"

Kiba got down on his feet and hands with Akamaru angrily yipping at the brunette.

"This already happened, dattebayo" Menma thought out loud as he looked at his friend, confused, "Hold on!"

"Begiiiiiiiin!!!!!"

"Nyaaa!!!" Kiba lunged at Menma.

Menma felt the strong force in his stomach, sending him flying back. Then he suddenly felt a hand strangle him and slam him down. Flipping Menma over, he was now face down on the ground.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain go through his hands.

"Gahh!!"

"It's time to go back" Pain said as he held out his hand "Menma"

Suddenly...

Pain jumped back, dodging a gentle fist.

Hinata stood in between the two men.

She growled, her eyes looking at poor Menma, then to the one who hurt him.

"I won't let you hurt Menma-kun anymore!" She claimed, Menma suddenly growled and yelled "What are you doing here?! Just run! This is none of your business!"

"No!" She firmly said "If I run, I'll just be showing you that running away is the right answer. So, no. I won't run away, never again!"

Hinata recalled all the times she wanted to run away, but because of Menma, she decided to stay.

"If what you are doing is what you think is right..." Hinata said "Then I would support you, no matter what! And that is on my nindo, my ninja way!"

Menma was shocked.

"I will always be supporting you, Menma. No matter what. I have said it thousands of times over and over. But if you still don't understand, if you don't think I am serious about this, then I'll keep repeating it until you do" Hinata said, firmly, but the tone in her voice, it was gentle and earnest, "Because I love you, Menma. And I always will"

A gust of wind blew.

Menma looked at her stupidly, speechless against her for the first time.

"Hinata..." Menma muttered, not noticing the sudden change.

He was back at the Academy but he wasn't his younger self. In his almighty and tall body, standing at the back of the room, he looked at his former teacher.

"Uh... Just suppose the moon is going to fall, I guess"

Shikamaru sighed dreamily and thought "If we're gonna die being squished, I'd rather it to be a big piece of meat than the moon"

"Shikamaru, food again?" Choji asked in annoyance, causing the entire class to laugh, except for those reserved ones.

"Tsk..." Menma tisked as he decided to walk around, now realizing what it was, "Iruka, again? Heh, I should've known earlier that this was a genjutsu, dattebayo"

He walked down the stairs to come closer to his vision of his younger self, stopping mid-way, knowing that it was the time he made a paper plane for the first time.

"Menmaaaaa...! Don't throw your paper away, please" Iruka groaned as he glared at the young boy, "How are you going to do the activity now??" Menma glared back at him, not replying.

The entire class turned to witness the heated glaring contest.

Menma could only roll his eyes at his own childish antic.

Then he heard a familiar giggle.

It caught him by surprise.

It sounded innocent, it sounded pure. It knocked on his chest.

His head whipped towards the direction of the gentle sound, recognizing the owner of the voice.

"Hinata..." He muttered.

Her laugh never changed, did it?

Then his eyes widen in surprise. Even back then?

**_"Namikaze Menma"_ **

  
It was as if truth was slapped on his face. So she wasn't lying.

He thought Hinata was one of those people whom you couldn't tell if they're lying or not. But it seemed like what she always was showing was true, genuine, real.

He couldn't help but see her in a new light.

Hinata's the most honest person he knew.

He suddenly felt something tight knotting itself around his torso and a presence at his right side.

"Just take it, it's for you, dumbass!" Kurenai snarled, Hinata glared up at her sensei.

Menma watched as his younger self suspiciously inspect the ointment Hinata was handing him.

"Don't worry, it's safe" Hinata muttered as she looked away.

As per usual, he trusted Hinata and took the ointment, "It's not like I need it. But I'll take it, anyway"

"So heartless of you, Menma" The older Sasuke taunted at his left.

Menma looked at him weirdly and asked "What do you want now?"

"You should really know, Menma" He sighed as he waved a finger "Hinata's feelings for you? Man, it's so real! It's not like the love for ramen, but genuine love!"

"Quit trying to hook me up with Hinata to get rid of me for Sakura" Menma tisked as he walked away "Besides, there's no different types of love, love is only one"

"Maybe that's why he considers everyone family" Sasuke said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, then looking down at the girl walking beside him "There's only one type of love, he says"

The three of them were now walking around the village. But Menma couldn't recall being here during this conversation between Sasuke and Hinata. Since when did the two even spend time?!

But why was Menma seeing this?

Was it Sasuke's memories?

That stupid man hoe! What did he do with his Sharingan that is affecting him now?!

But he wasn't in everything he saw. Most of it had-

Was it... Hinata's memories?

"Mahh, is that what he really thinks?!" Hinata groaned in frustration, Sasuke then sent her a flirtatious wink and said "You know... We could make a good-lookin' family~"

"Fuck off, casa nova! I would only settle for Menma-kun!" Hinata yelled as she punched him away "Hey! Hands off!"

"No, you might strangle her" Neji sternly said as he kept his barbaric cousin on his shoulder and accepting her hits on his back as if it was nothing, "Hell yeah, I'd strangle her! I couldn't even trust her with keeping my knitting a secret!"

Hinata tried pushing herself out as tears brimmed the corner of her eyes "I wanted to surprise everyone if he liked the scarf I made for him, now she embarassed me in front of everyone! Sakura's fuckin' unbelievable!"

As they passed a lamppost, Menma suddenly appeared. Seeing the two Hyūga together gave him the answer; it was Hinata's memories. He could feel his heart clenching as he leaned against it.

Hinata truly was hurting.

He then decided to step out to help her off Neji, but then the cousins stopped and Neji set her down. Now Hinata's back was facing him.

Hinata hissed and shoved him away, "What the hell, Neji?! You should have let me kill that traitor of a bitch!"

"Do you actually think Menma would like you if you killed one of his friends?" Neji asked in a scolding tone, making her stop and cross her arms with a pout. Neji then glared down at her and said "You don't even stick to what you say. You always taunt everyone who flirts with Menma and threat that you'll kill them, yet you don't do anything and wuss out of the idea like the scaredy-cat you are"

Menma froze in place, seeing how much the mere mention of his name affects her.

Hinata was silent as she stood fuming in her place. He then placed his hands on her shoulders and said "Do you not think that if you stay true to yourself, he would fall in love with the true you?"

Menma had enough of Neji's bullshit, he then stepped beside Neji and yelled "Shut the fuck up, Neji! Hinata's the most honest person I-"

"Then what the fuck are you saying?! That I seem fake and I'm just pretending?!" Hinata exploded "Fuck you, Neji! Fuck you! In fact! Fuck Sakura and all the other hoes! Fuck them! Fuck everyone! Fuck everything!!!"

Menma flinched, remembering that whatever he does doesn't affect this. It was a genjutsu afterall. His instincts to protect Hinata were just too strong sometimes.

Hinata huffed and stomped off, only to freeze in place when her cousin spoke, "You're afraid you'll lose. Lose an argument. Lose a fight. Lose Menma. You think if you act strong, talk strong, and come strong, you'd always win"

Hinata clenched her fist and shook her head, she then turned on her heal and ran.

Menma only stood and glared at Neji. How dare he be so blunt towards Hinata!

Menma shook his head and, for the first time, decided to run after Hinata.

"Hinata, wait!" Menma called out, but she suddenly disappeared as he reached under a lamppost.

He stopped. Why can't he stop following her even though he knows that she's not real?!

Suddenly, a piece of paper gently fell down, and Menma caught it in his hand.

**_"Namikaze Menma"_ **

  
"Hinata..." Menma knew what he was feeling.

But he's afraid of letting her down.

Suddenly, the knot around him loosen but his heart was still squeezed by something. Was it... his feelings?

As soon as he thought that, she appeared again in front of him. But this time, it was from his memories of her from before.

"I will always be supporting you, Menma. No matter what. I have said it thousands of times over and over. But if you still don't understand, if you don't think I am serious about this, then I'll keep repeating it until you do" Hinata said, firmly, but the tone in her voice, it was gentle and earnest, "Because I love you, Menma. And I always will"

Menma felt his heart throb.

He felt so stupid.

He couldn't ignore his feelings anymore.

He's been in love with Hinata. He always has. But he was always too afraid to disappoint her.

But with that guy out there to take her... No! He doesn't want to lose her!

Letting his heart control for the first time in so long, Menma moved with his feelings as he stepped a big step forward and tried catching Hinata into a hug, only for her to disappear once more.

Menma dropped to his knees, clenching Hinata's paper to his chest, on top of his wildly beating heart. It hurts. It hurts and it burns him inside. He groaned.

"Menma-kuuun!!"

Menma ignored the pinkette's call.

But he felt her shove his shoulders as she shook him, "Wake up! **It's just a dream!!** "

**\- - -**

Still feeling the sensation of the recent pain, Menma groaned as he opened his eyes.

Sakura squealed and hugged him, but Menma pushed her off and looked at Hinata.

She was looking back at him, she was evidently worried before he woke up. But why was her scarf out?

No... Why was _his_ scarf out?

Menma and Hinata only looked into each other's eyes for a while, until the blonde felt Neji shove him up while groaning "Get up, we still have a mission"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Oh wow... Did Menma really just admit that he had feelings for her all along?!?!
> 
> Btw, author 1 here, and I'm sorry for not updating last week, something went up... Or should I say... Someone went down? Hahahaha, sorry, Chloe, it's not a good joke, I'm sorry hahaha
> 
> Anyway! See'ya guys next time!
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


	13. Not Followed

"Luckily, Sakura's resistant to genjutsu and Hinata's and my Byakugan saw right through it" Neji explained for Shikamaru who nodded "Ohhhhh! I didn't realize that was a genjutsu, hahahaha!"

"The genjutsu traps people into their most treasured memories, huh?" Sakura said as they jumped from a floating stone to another, Neji nodded and said "It seems so"

"Oh, I had such a wonderful dream about my dear brother! Sakura! You monster!" Sai joked, Sakura then yelled "Shut up, Sai! Be grateful!"

Menma tuned them out. He looked at Hinata. Did she see all those terrible things he did before, too? Up until now, did she still love him?

They all stopped as they reached the end of the spring. Neji and Hinata looked at each other and shook their heads, both signaling to the other that their Byakugans still failed to see passed it.

"We don't know what's behind that" Neji said "So get ready to fight!"

"Roger!"

One by one, they all dove out and Hinata was about to jump out, but she felt a hand grab her wrist.

She turned and looked at Menma worriedly, "Is something wrong?"

"Hinata, I-..." Menma hesitated.

Is now a wrong time?

Would she listen?

Does she still love him?

Menma suddenly cowered away, removing his hand from her wrist, shaking his head as he bowed it down to hide his fear, "Nothing"

He walked passed her and followed the others.

Hinata blushed as she touched her wrist, _"W-What's wrong with him?"_

She shook her head and was about to dive in, but someone yelled.

"Oooooi!!!"

Recognising that annoying voice, Hinata groaned. Why was everyone stopping her from leaving?!

She sharply turned and, seeing Toneri all happy and smiling, she dropped into a fighting stance, "Where'd you take my sister, bastard?!"

"Oh, hehehe. Don't worry, she's safe back at my palace! You could consider it as me meeting my in-law" The man laughed "Ah! And my name's not bastard, it's Toneri!"

"I don't care! Tell me where Hanabi is, now!" Hinata growled.

"Because you are the one asking, I'll show you."

Suddenly, some sort of dome surrounded them, and appeared on it was Hanabi sleeping on a bed with wraps around her eyes. Hinata knew what it meant and she felt hurt for her little sister.

"Hanabi!!"

"It's okay, it's okay!" Toneri panicked as he rushed beside Hanabi with a reassuring smile. Of course the one in front of Hinata was a puppet...

That coward!

"She's well! I just borrowed them for a while, and after I'm done with'em, she could have them back! I would do nothing to make you unhappy, Hinata"

"You sick monster!" Hinata hissed at the real Toneri, no longer did he look innocent in her eyes.

He hurt her younger sister! She had to do something! She couldn't leave her like that!

"What do you want, Toneri?! I'll do anything, just bring Hanabi home, safe!"

\- - -

For the first time since forever, Menma didn't feel like he was being followed. How was it possible? Hinata was behind him and-

 _"Where is she?"_ He thought as he turned around, noticing Hinata still hasn't followed after an attempt to steal a glance.

Then he felt alarmed. She's in danger!

Fuck.

Menma quickly swam back towards her direction.

He jumped out and saw Toneri about to give Hinata an embrace, saying "I'll willingly wait, princess!"

Menma's blood started to boiled as he frowned, feeling directly attack by Toneri's presence near Hinata.

"Fuck off, piece of shit!!" he yelled as he kicked Toneri away, but he quickly dodged and glared at Menma with tisk "It's Toneri, and don't insult me, slow-poke!"

"Menma-kun! Kakashi-sensei's right! He has Hanabi!" Hinata informed frantically.

Menma growled. How dare he! He was messing with Hinata's life as well as Hinata's loved ones!

"Tell me where Hanabi is!" Menma yelled as he threw a punch, but Toneri dodged and yelled "Over my dead body, blondy! I'm not telling you anything!"

Hinata was surprised by the sudden change of Toneri's behaviour. He was annoying yet charming with her, but with Menma, it was like he was someone else, something else was inhabiting each time the blond was in front of him.

Sending death glares at each other, the Namikaze and the Otsutsuki engaged into a nasty fist fight.

\- - -

"Mah... Menma-kun's not yet back... I'm starting to get worried" Sakura said.

Shikamaru made faces at the bubbles, but Neji then gasped and pushed him away "Stay away from those!"

"Why shou- Whoawhoa!!!"

Suddenly, a giant crab woke from its sleep.

"It's the guardian! He traps the intruders into a genjutsu!" Neji informed everyone as they kept dodging its gigantic claws.

Sakura tied paper bombs to some kunais and threw them at the guardian, only for it to deflect it with its shell. The explosion did nothing.

"Dammit!" She cursed.

Neji activated his Byakūgan and immediately found a weak spot, "Shikamaru! Sai! Hold it down!"

Shikamaru frantically spun around to find a good source of light as Sai panicked to draw.

"That's good enough!" They both said, "Superbeast Scroll!" "Shadow Stitching!"

A giant drawing held down the crab along with Shikamaru's shadow binding it down. Neji then looked at Sakura and yelled "The top center!"

"Got it!" Sakura yelled as she ran forward and jumped, pulling her fist back, "SHANARO!!!!"

\- - -

Foot to the rib, stopped. The blond dodged his opponent's attack. Elbow to the nose, blocked. He caught his opponent's knee. Fist to the jaw, dodged.

Finally landing a hit on Toneri, Menma successfully punched him to a wall. He landed down a short distance away from the white-haired guy and looked at his fist, shaking it. For sure, what he punched definitely were not flesh and bones.

Hinata jumped down beside him and said "He's just a puppet. The real one's in his castle along with my sister"

Toneri laughed as he pushed himself out, limping towards them, "Such a tattle-tail you are!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Menma yelled, throwing yet another punch, only to miss as the puppet dropped to the ground in an awkward position, "Blehh!!! You can't touch me, Namikaze Menma!"

Both the Konoha-nins glared at the puppet with annoyance.

As chills of rage surged throughout his whole body, Menma then turned towards Hinata and grabbed her hand.

She gasped as she turned red "M-Menma-kun?!"

"You. You're not leaving my side ever again" He growled as he pulled her away from the puppet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Jealous Menma is on! 
> 
> Toneri met Hinata! 
> 
> More action and drama are coming readers! So beware.
> 
> Thank you for all for reading this story and don't forget to comment.
> 
> See you next time if the oppressive heat didn't kill me haha
> 
> -ChloeLaPomme


	14. She is Awfully Quiet and He is Extremely Vigilant

"Did you see what I did to that guardian Menma-kun?" Sakura cooed as she rubbed herself against his arm.

"Tsk... Was just a crab, nothing more" he said as he jerked away from her.

The pinkette stopped in her tracks and pouted as Hinata passed her. Sakura expected the white-eyed girl to say something insulting and make fun of her rejection, but for once, she stayed silent.

Since, deep in her thoughts were Hanabi, her father, Toneri and everything that has been going on, the girl's been silent.

The group let the light guide them out of the dimly lit cave. Their ears twitched as they heard roaring waves.

They all looked at each other with confusion. Especially Neji, he studied the map of the forest, and they were nowhere near an ocean.

"Holy shit, a floating island!" Shikamaru laughed "And in mid-air at that!"

As per usual, only Shikamaru can laugh at paranormal moments like this.

How were they suddenly near the ocean? Weren't they just underground since they dove down?

"How the hell is there a sun underground?" Sakura asked, turning the rest's attention to the sun, Neji crossed his arms and said "Must be artificial"

"Such a beautiful scene! Let me remember it with my..." Sai flipped his hair "Photographic memory..!"

"Hahahahaha! Photo is such a funny word" Shikamaru laughed, Hinata then pushed him off the rock they were standing on, but Menma caught his friend by his collar.

Neji sighed and said "Let's just get a move on"

Sai nodded and drew up their birds.

\- - -

Hinata frowned as they flew over the lush, green forest. Neji's and her Byakūgan scanned over it carefully.

Not even a deer or a bug.

She sat up and looked at her cousin with fear, Neji gave her a reassuring nod.

Hinata felt more and more blind. For someone who sees everything more detailed and farther, it always freaks her out if she's blind. The mere darkness scared her, along with thick mist and heavy smoke.

But after that spring? She's beginning to think that what if she can't see everything anymore? Did that spring do something to their eyes? Is there a jutsu that masks anything from the Byakūgan?

"Is there something wrong?" Menma asked as he turned slightly to see her. Since he took her hand, she was awfully quiet and he was annoyed not knowing why. She quickly shook her head and said "No no! Nothing's wrong..."

Menma felt her getting more and more paranoid by the second. Hinata never was one to be calm and collected, she's just so expressive. She's transparent for the world to see - at least, that's what he thinks. But why was she trying to hide the fact that she's afraid?

Occupational hazard, he presumes. If you're a shinobi or kunoichi like them, showing feelings such as fear is like rubbing barbeque sauce all over yourself and not expect Shikamaru to bite you.

As the sun started to set, they finally decided to set camp.

They already set their decoy tent and assigned sleeping places around it to make it seem they were guarding it so any sneaky creeper to try and check what's in it would only trip an alarm.

Menma waited patiently on a tree branch for Hinata to go to sleep. But, instead of doing so, she sat up and grabbed her bag. Again, he waited, never letting her out of his sight as she just kept digging through her bag and kept looking around.

The more he looked at her, the more he has the feeling she's hiding something.

What could it be that she's hiding from them? From him? She never hid from him. Never once. And he hopes never ever.

She finally closed her bag and walked off to one direction, striking Menma's curiosity.

He silently followed her, cautiously moving to not alarm the destructive woman.

She gracefully sat down on a stone and gently unfolded the long and ripped scarf. She then brushed it with gentle hands and started fixing it.

Menma couldn't help but watch in awe. Never before had he ever seen Hinata so gentle on something.

He could see the feelings she's trying to convey through her knitting. It was beautiful. Her love was beautiful. She was beautiful.

 _"Did..."_ He thought as his hand travelled to the scarf around his neck _"Did she really make it for me?"_

\- - -

"I see a town, twenty klicks ahead!" Hinata informed, Neji nodded and said "We'll check out over there!"

He couldn't help but smile proudly, "Hinata-sama truly is amazing! I couldn't even see that far"

Hinata smirked proudly to herself. She deactivated her Byakūgan and sat back to relax. Maybe even admire Menma-kun from behind!

She peeked open an eye to look at her love.

 _"Huh?"_ She thought as her eyes glued to his neck, was she hallucinating? _"Where's his scarf? Didn't he say it's special?"_

She then let out a huff, _"Good! I didn't want to see it on him, anyway!"_

\- - -

"Let's split up" Neji said as they grouped around the center "Hinata, let's conserve chakra, we're in a foreign place, we have to be in our best conditions when we fight"

"Well, duh" Hinata mocked "If our Byakūgan can't see through the spring, obviously there's something we can't see via dōjutsu, so it's useless. I'm not stupid, antsy-pantsy"

"He's not the only 'antsy-pantsy'..." Sakura tisked. Her rival was too quiet and she couldn't help but think that something happened between her and Menma, who also seemed to push her away from him less than usual.

Hinata then stomped and screamed "Shut it!"

"No, you shut it!" The pinkette screamed back, the bluenette bumped their foreheads together and argued back "Don't tell me to shut it, you shut i- Whoa!"

"Come on" Menma groaned as he grabbed Hinata by her hand and dragged her away, she was completely red and speechless as she stupidly followed.

Sai, Sakura, Neji, and Shikamaru only watched them go with their jaws dropped. That was completely new! Usually, everytime the two women were fighting over Menma, he was the first one to go away, muttering that he was fed up by their attitude.

"Pfft... Ahahahaha!!" Shikamaru laughed out loud "He just took your cousin away, Neji!"

"H-Hold on! I'm coming with-"

"Sakura, you check that way with me because I can't be alone" Neji said as he pointed at the opposite direction "We decided earlier that each Hyūga on this mission have to be in pair with another shinobi."

"Fine!" The pinkette glared at Neji and stomped off the other direction, grumbling under her breath "Sucks to be so strong sometimes..!"

"Great. We'll look around the surrounding walls. Sai, that direction and Shikamaru, the opposite" Neji finished to assign.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Hey hey! It's author 1!!
> 
> Hinata's still screaming, at least it's not at Menma this time hahahaha and besides that, I'm loving Shikamaru here hahahaha
> 
> Anyway! Stay tuned! Because I swear, MenmaHina sweetness is coming!
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


	15. It's Cold, It's Warm

"What's up with this place?" Neji wondered out loud as he examined the scratched walls "Something must have exploded, these scratches follow a pattern..."

"Scorch marks?" Sakura wondered out loud as she squatted down and traced her fingers over the marks "Was there a fire?"

She furrowed her eyebrows and said "No... Maybe a strong force of chakra"

She then looked to the direction of origin and crossed her arms, "These aren't directly affected... Is there something so powerful that blew from afar?"

"It seems so" Neji agreed.

\- - -

A plus to Sai is that he has the ability to remember each and every detail.

A minus? He can't draw it.

"Oh wow..." Sai said in awe as he picked up a kunai "This one looks really old. Thousands of years old maybe. And with the mark on the ground, this must've been untouched since before me!"

He then grinned and dramatically sighed and said "It is like one of those post-war paintings in the museum!"

\- - -

"Now what do we have here... Oh shit!" Shikamaru jumped after directing his lamp towards the wall, he then nervously laughed and said "Just a wall of skulls, nothing weird about that, hehehehe... Heh..."

\- - -

The scenery and atmosphere sent shivers down his spine. Menma could feel residuals of chakra-radiations almost similar to ones created by his Tailed-Beast Bomb.

He could easily tell there was a war since none of the buildings had skeletons or bones, leading him to believe that either everyone already evacuated years ago or fought and lost since they never returned.

"Eep!"

That's Hinata!

"What's wrong?!" Menma immediately ran to the building she just entered, Hinata groaned as she plucked out web in her hair "A damn web got in my way"

"You're just so stubborn" Menma groaned as he gently ushered her hand away and held her hair, removing the web for her, "I told you to stay near me, but you keep wandering off. You're so spacey"

Hinata felt her heart flutter as she let him remove the web. He was being so gentle lately... He was genuinely worried about her... Why?

As he finished, he helped her up and said "Come on, let's check a little farther, there's nothing here, dattebayo"

"R-Right..." Hinata nodded as she accepted his hand, feeling his warmth, and pulled herself up.

They walked off deeper into the village made purely of old bricks and stones.

Hinata's eyes then landed back to his neck. She really wants to know...

"Hey, where's that special scarf of yours, anyway?" She asked.

Menma flinched and quickly thought of an excuse, "Oh. The scarf?"

He didn't look at her as they walked up a long set of stairs, going higher and higher, "It's just that this place is really warm that I had to remove it"

"Huh?" Hinata asked, not buying his lie, she crossed her arms and pressed "That's funny, 'cause I'm _preeeetty_ sure that it's cold here"

"I don't know what you're talking about" Menma refused to tell "Maybe it's your mission gear"

"What about it?" Hinata pressed further "I always wear clothes like these, and I never feel cold"

"Maybe because you don't wear long sleeves anymore" The blonde tried to make her believe him as they reached the top, but she looked at him suspiciously and nodded "Uh-huh..."

Her eyes slanted in suspicion, not wanting to stop her interrogation, "Not even now? Our altitude's way higher, and I certainly felt the temperature drop. Will you wear it now?"

"I'm telling you, it's warm here, dattebayo" He said as he looked around, spotting a drinking-fountain with running water, "In fact, I might just go ahead and have a drink"

"What?! No! Who knows how dirty that thing is!" Hinata panicked as he cupped his hands, ignoring her, and taking a sip. Menma, too, was surprised as he tasted the water, "You want some? It's fresh for some reason"

"What the hell? I'm not dipping my hands in dirty water, Menma-kun" The Hyūga crossed her arms stubbornly, but Menma insisted, "I'm tellin' ya, it's hot here. You should have a drink, I'll dip for you, dattebayo"

She blushed. Why was he doing all of this? And his blue eyes were so... He really wanted to do that for her, didn't he?

Well... Don't wanna disappoint Menma-kun now, does she?

She sighed and tucked her hair back "Fine, whatever"

She bowed her head down to Menma's cupped hands and drank the 'fresh' water.

"Oh! You're right! It's fresh and cold, Menma-kun" She cheered, then her smile turned into a smirk "Makes you feel cold, right? Why don't you wear your scarf now?"

Menma rolled his eyes and walked away, muttering "Whatever, Hinata"

Hinata huffed and followed him. She was back to square one.

They reached an open arch leading into a roofed tunnel, it was strangely dark, so they assumed it to be a good hiding spot for something of value.

Hinata activated her Byakūgan, catching Menma's attention.

Why did people always call the Hyūga creepy because of their eyes? The Byakugan was something really amazing and beautiful to look at... Or was it just Hinata? He looked at Hinata intently.

 _"She really is beautiful"_ he thought to himself.

Hinata noticed and asked "I-Is there something wrong?"

Menma realized that she must have seen him with her Byakūgan and quickly looked away, not saying anything.

Hinata sighed, she then cleared her throat and said "No, there's nothing here"

Menma nodded and pointed towards the stairs beside it and said "Let's climb up a bit more and see where that leads us"

They climbed and stopped at a bridge broken into multiple pieces, the only parts standing were the remaining pillars and a small section of platform each.

"There could be something over there" Menma said, pointing at a strangely large structure, Hinata looked at him with wide eyes and yelled "Are you crazy?! That distance is so big! I can't jump that!"

"Of course you can, dattebayo" Menma said, jumping to the first pillar, he then turned and waited for her, Hinata groaned in frustration and gave in. She took a couple of steps back and jumped, successfully getting to the first pillar.

Menma nodded and jumped to the next, and Hinata followed. It went on for the next three pillars. "See? I told you that you could do it"

He was teasing her, but deep down, his voice sounded like he was... proud of her... The thought made her legs feel like jelly.

Hinata missed the fifth pillar, making her slip off. She tried to push her chakra into her feet but Menma reacted fast and caught her by her hand, pulling her back, landing on his butt.

Breathless, he quickly looked up with worry and asked "Are you okay?"

"I told you I can't jump that far!" Hinata screeched, jerking her hand away. Menma shook his head and said "You were able to do it five times, dattebayo"

The Hyūga crossed her arms and pouted. The Namikaze knew she was upset. He sighed.

"W-What?!" Hinata gasped as she felt his arms go under her knees and behind her back, Menma carried her in his arms and started jumping the rest of the pillars, the said woman screaming as she clutched on to his top tightly for dear life.

As they finally reached the other side, Hinata quickly pushed herself off, "Put me down, put me down!"

Menma shook his head in amusement. Hinata stomped off.

As he finally caught up, he looked down at her with an amused smirk, and his hands confidently crossed behind the back of his head. At that, Hinata felt her cheeks flush red as she looked away with a loud "Hmph!"

That was so embarassing!

Her heart was going faster, remembering how her head was pressed on his broad chest. She usually loved to be against him but today, his touch was burning her, was making her blood boil under her skin.

Something about him was different... A good kind of different, though. But she can't quite put her finger on it.

...

Well... He's right afterall...

"I guess it is pretty warm..." Hinata said under her breath, he tisked as he shoved his hands into his pockets, saying "I told you, dattebayo"

When was he not?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> To summarise this chapter, while others are working REALLY hard (haha) Menma and Hinata are both hot because of each other (oops)
> 
> But behind this flirting, there is so much miscommunication...
> 
> It's painful, I know but it means greater things are coming!! (I won't spoil though) You'll have to keep reading :)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, see ya
> 
> -ChloeLaPomme


	16. A Shirt is Off, But More Secrets Remain

After entering the huge structure, Hinata used her Byakūgan and told Menma that it was empty.

"Dammit, _you_ chose the empty side of the village!" Hinata whined as she sat in the middle of the empty room. Menma sighed and sat across her and said "Calls for lunch"

He opened his bag and got a scroll out, unsealing a filled kettle and two types of ramen cups.

Hinata sighed and opened her bag, but Menma quickly opened both cups and asked "Which one do you want?"

"Which? But you never share your ramen" Hinata said in surprise as he blankly looked at her, Menma raised a brow and said "Don't tell me you don't like ramen"

"I love ramen! It's just that-" The Hyūga was confused. Namikaze Menma was offering ramen to someone else that isn't him?! What's going on?!

"Fine, I'll choose" Menma bluntly said, impatient of her silence, he then poured the boiled water in, "Taste the miso, it's my favorite"

"Then you have it" Hinata insisted, not used to him putting her first.

The blonde shook his head and said "You have to taste the miso"

"What the actual fuck, Menma-kun?" Hinata asked as her cheeks burned red "Why are you being so kind? You usually push me away!"

"Shut up and be grateful, dattebayo" He groaned.

Hinata felt her heart skip a beat and the butterflies in her stomach were flying wildly. She really liked this side of Menma-kun.

No... More like she loves everything about Menma-kun.

She smiled to herself as she knelt down properly. Closing her eyes and taking a relaxing breath in and out.

Hinata's not usually a fan of silence, she feels really awkward and irritated often because of it. But right now, with Menma, she felt so relaxed.

After a good ten minute of calm silence, they finally ate their ramen.

But something really is making Hinata really curious. Why was Menma so kind?

Well... Here goes nothing!

"What's up with you, Menma-kun?" Hinata smirked "You're being so kind. Does it have something to do with your, oh, I dunno... Feelings?"

"What the fuck?!" Menma choked out, he then rushed to his feet and regained his composure, "I'm just taking care of my comrades, like always"

“I don't believe you, Menma-kun.” she smugly looked at her cup of ramen.

"Whatever, Hinata. Believe whatever the fuck you want to believe in" The blonde closed his eyes and walked away.

Hinata decided to start her usual teasing "Okay, Menma-kun~ I want to believe that you _love_ me back!"

"Wha-" Menma was taken back at her remark, then surprised as a spider web get caught by his face causing him to accidentally trip one foot over the other, also causing him to uncharacteristically tumble down the stairs.

Hinata screeched in panic and rushed down after him.

"What the hell?!" Hinata asked as she helped him sit up "Dammit, that was a harsh fall, Menma-kun!'

"A web got in my way" He groaned, blaming it to the web as he grabbed it off his face.

"You're just so stubborn" Hinata quoted him in a mocking imitation of his voice.

He sent her a glare but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back, making him hiss, Hinata 'eep'ed and panicked to grab an ointment from her bag "Here! You could use this!"

"Thanks" He mumbled, but in the depths of his seal, he forced Kurama to not heal his back.

Hinata was surprised when he handed it back to her, he then said "Do it for me, will 'ya? I'm pretty sure I can't reach my back, dattebayo"

"U-Um... Sure!" The Hyūga eagerly nodded, still flabbergasted.

She felt her face burn as Menma started to unzip his jacket.

It was as if watching him remove his top make her world spin, steam started rising from her head as he removed his white shirt completely.

The muscles of his naked back were completely exposed for her to see, calling for her hand to touch, but she was so caught off guard that she didn't move.

Feeling her eyes focused on his entire back and not just the swelling part, Menma raised a brow and turned his head to look at her, "Hurry up. We still have to search for your sister, dattebayo"

"Right" Hinata shook out her unholy thoughts, uncapping her ointment and rubbing it on the red spot on his back.

Yeah. Maybe she was just receiving kind treatment from Menma since her sister is kidnapped, her father is missing, and an overgrown child was flirting with her.

He sees her as his mission.

Of course.

Hinata could remember now clearly.

_"I'm just taking care of my comrades, like always"_

No way is he going to love her back. No way will he like her the way she does. He just sees her as a comrade. A friend at most.

Besides... There's that green scarf.

Her hand retreated as her mouth curved down.

Menma is just so out of reach...

She will never take his hand into hers and stand by his side for the rest of their lives as she always hoped for.

It's just an impossible dream...

Suddenly, she felt his hand grab her wrist. Menma was suddenly facing her, his eyes staring into hers.

As if they were searching for answers.

Then he asked "Why are you so sad all of a sudden?"

Hinata couldn't do anything but stare back with wide eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" His voice was so soft, so different from earlier.

Then her stare turned into a teary glare, she snatched her hand away from his as she screamed "Fuck off! You're just so confusing!"

Suddenly, he grabbed both her wrists and locked them between his grip and the stone floor on either sides of her.

He towered over her, now closer than ever. She believed she had seen his eyes fall on her lips but she wasn't sure. She was now very much aware of his body close to her and yet, she wanted him to be closer. She wanted their bodies to touch, to feel each other. This made her throat dry as her whole body began to tremble.

"Please tell me what's wrong, Hinata... The others doesn't have to know... You can trust me, dattebayo..."

Hinata felt tears go down as she looked back in his eyes.

Why were his eyes filled with sincerity? Why was he so curious?

Her heart was just hurting. He doesn't love her! He already has someone else!

He loves someone else...

Menma doesn't love Hinata...

"Hinata, please..."

Despite his harsh movements, he didn't fail not to hurt her. Physically, at least.

His grip on her hands didn't hurt.

But his grip on her heart did.

It really did...

"Oh, hey! I finally- WHAAA!!!" Sai screamed as he fell down from his bird, then screaming from outside "Oh my eyes! Pornography burned into my mind!!!"

Hinata suddenly was pissed off, she got on her feet, jerking away from the blonde, and screamed out the window "Fuck off, Sai! We weren't doing anything close to that, you bastard!!!"

Menma only looked at her with utter curiosity and worry. She was avoiding from telling him something. She was hiding something from him.

What could it be that she's hiding? She usually told him everything... What's wrong?

"Oh? Is that so? So tell me, why is Menma half naked? Curiosity is killing me" Sai asked with a teasing tone.

The two other shinobi looked at each other. “Hinata was just healing me, nothing more -ttebayo” Menma said, now self-conscious.

"Yes, nothing more" Hinata thought as her heart painfully squeezed.

They both looked away from each other as Sai got back up and drew one more bird for them "Anyway, Neji have called everyone back. He thinks he saw something"

"Alright, let's go!" Hinata eagerly nodded, wanting to avoid Menma's question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> The sexual tension is too thick... Ack!! Someone have mercy and make them kiss already!
> 
> Oh... What's that? Author A and I are the ones controlling the book?
> 
> Too bad then, no mercy hahahaha
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


	17. The Reborn Eye

"This is where we last were" Sai said as he landed down with Menma and Hinata following, the birds bursting into nothing but ink.

"Hey hey!!!"

The three turned and saw Shikamaru waving ecstatically at them with Sakura and Neji following close behind.

"Oh cool, look at that..." Hinata said as she saw a gigantic statue "Looks like an ancient Otsutsuki idol... Almost like the one we have in the temple, Neji"

"Yeah, I figured you'd recognize it, that's why I called you back" Neji said, Sakura then teased "Count on Hinata to recognize something as old as her"

"What the hell?! I'm fuckin' younger than you, wrinkly old bitch!" Hinata yelled, the pinkette gasped and argued back "I don't have a single wrinkle! I'm as smooth as a baby!"

"Calloused baby, wawawaaa... Oh no, wait, no wonder you're as flat as a child~" The Hyūga teased back, making the Haruno burn red and tackle her down "Why you-!!!"

"Hey! Fuck off of me!" "No! You stop it!"

Neji carefully watched to make sure that they weren't really hurting each other, he wouldn't forgive himself if Hinata got hurt under his watch.

"I knew you'd stumble to crawl! Ha!" The Hyūga teased, taking a deep breath and letting out a loud raspberry, making the Haruno gasp in disgust as saliva sprayed across her face, jumping off as she wiped her face screaming "Gross!!! Ancient spit! Ancient spit!"

"I'm eighteen turning nineteen, you fetus!!!" The bluenette huffed as she got on her knees, ready to pounce onto the pinkette.

As Neji was about to stop the fight himself, Menma suddenly carried Hinata from under her shoulders, lifting her up in mid air.

Hinata growled as she kept kicking and whining "Hey, hands off! Hands off! I oughta teach that hag a lesson!"

"Oh... Look who's a baby now~ Eighteen months you say~??" Sakura cooed, making Hinata hiss and look at Menma with pleading eyes "Menma-kun, pleeeease let me down so that I could strangle flatty~~"

Menma suddenly flinched. Should he listen? He feels like he should listen. What?! No! Hinata's using his secret feelings against him!

"Here, Neji" Menma suddenly handed her to Neji who immediately hung Hinata over his shoulder, "Control your baby sister or something, dattebayo"

"Ha! Baby!" Sakura yelled in success "Menma-kun agrees with me~"

"I said baby sister" Menma bluntly said.

Hinata groaned and pressed her elbow against Neji's back, resting her chin on her palm in annoyance of defeat.

Neji found out just about a year ago that this was the best way to contain Hinata. She can't seem to escape his grip when she's hung over his shoulder.

"Come on, I think I saw something from in there too" Neji said as he walked in the what seemed like an ancient temple.

Hinata only groaned in embarassment as she faced her friends who was following behind Neji.

And Shikamaru and Sakura laughing at her didn't help her helpless shame. Thankfully, Menma glared at them to shut up.

Neji suddenly stopped, he then gently placed her down and sternly said "Behave, Hinata-sama"

"Whatever..." She groaned as she crossed her arms, not wanting to get slung over his shoulder again.

Suddenly, she gasped as she looked up to see what seemed to be a giant stone orb with strange patterns.

"Here, Hinata-sama... I recognize this writing, but I don't know how to read it" Neji said as pointed at some ancient writing.

"Oh... I know this" Hinata said as she traced her fingers on the writing "Hiashi taught me this... Some sort of old Hyūga writing"

"But why would it be here?" Sai wondered out loud. Hinata shrugged and said "I don't know. Lemme read it..."

She then skimmed over the words and nodded, certain of what she have read.

"Ancient oath crossing the path of humanity, justice above all else. The fist of the reborn moon, the Tensei-eye, will destroy all of man kind"

All of them furrowed their eyebrows. Was it some sort of an oath or a decree?

"What does that mean?" Sakura asked. Neji then lifted his lamp towards the giant orb and said "This must be the Tensei-eye it's talking about, or a replica. There's no chakra circling it"

"It could also be the thing that's making the moon move" Menma pieced together, Sakura then gasped and said "So Kakashi-sensei is right... Hanabi's abduction and the moon falling are somehow connected"

"Never doubt Kakashi-sensei's almighty stomach!" Shikamaru laughed.

Hinata, however, kept tracing her hand over the letters. Why was ancient Hyūga writing here? Why are idol statues from the Hyūga temple here?

**_"Byakūgan Princess..."_ **

"Huh?" Hinata suddenly turned, then the ground started shaking.

"What's happening?" Neji quickly looked around to investigate.

Hinata and Sakura jumped back as the floor bellow them suddenly opened to reveal a staircase entering a dark place.

It emmited a strong old smell.

What's down there?

They were surprised as Hinata wordlessly went down first, then Menma and Neji both nodded at eachother and decided to follow her down.

As they went down, they saw what seemed to be tombs covered in dust and web, patterns similar to the orb engraved on the tombs.

"Is this... A crypt?" Neji asked.

Shikamaru turned to the side and laughed "Hahahahaha! Look! A butt!"

Through the darkness, Hinata saw faint movement heading towards them.

"Someone's here!" She strongly yelled, turning all of their attention towards a limping man.

The man with long hair suddenly grinned widely and said in an ecstatic yet raspy voice "I can sense the Byakūgan! Yes! Hahaha! You're finally here!"

Neji took few steps back as the man approached him, only to stop to realize that the man was facing Hinata.

"Byakūgan princess!"

The man laughed out. Neji was about to jump infront of his precious cousin, but was beat to it as Menma growled and stepped infront of her protectively and growling "Stay away from her!"

"Oh?" The man came to an abrupt stop, only to start choking.

He opened his eyeless sockets, surprising Menma, but his stance didn't waver.

The man then opened his mouth, a glowing orb coming out.

As it finally comes out, the man suddenly dropped to his knees weakly.

The orb started glowing brighter and brighter. Then it stopped.

Hinata saw...

Hinata saw...

Then she suddenly started to sway, losing consciousness, dropping down.

"Hinata!" Menma yelled as he caught her, he then glared up at the old man and yelled "What did you do to her, you bastard?!"

"The time has come!" The man yelled as he got on his feet with panic written all over his face "The Tenseigan has been..."

The orb then flew back in to the man's chest, making him choke, "Revived!"

Suddenly, he drops like muscle-less bones to the ground.

White liquid came out of the man, but he kept warning "Stop it! Stop it! Or else Otsutsuki will-..."

They were all stricken with curiosity. What would Otsutsuki do? Who's Otsutsuki?!

But above all else, Menma was only minding one thing.

"Dammit! Help Hinata! Sakura, heal her!" He demanded as he carried Hinata in his arms and rushed her up for some fresh air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Heya! It's author 1, again! It's supposed to be ChloeLaPomme here, but hey, she's a busy person, and I understand.
> 
> Pushing that aside... Hey! We got to see a very funny side of Hinata and Sakura! Bantering and such.
> 
> Anyway! I love you, Chloe, and I hope you're doing great as usual! Not gonna bother ya, since work should be priority! Mwahmwah!! Kissykissy!
> 
> And for those who are reading my other books, sorry for not updating, no excuses from me. I'll get to it soon, promise 🤣 consider it as a short hiatus thingy
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


	18. Sibling Talk

"What's up with your cousin all of a sudden?" Sakura asked "There wasn't anything wrong with her, yet she fainted"

"I think she saw something..." Neji said after taking a sip of tea, the pinkette looked at him weirdly and repeated "Saw something?"

"I did too... But... I have a feeling that there's something more..." The Hyūga said.

"What? A sibling telepathy thing?" Sakura asked "I mean, your fathers are twins afterall, so it's possible you could be sensing stuff about her"

"Yeah, maybe that" Neji nodded.

He then fell silent. He was certain there was more.

That Tenseigan... It was used against the main branch of the Otsutsuki. Neji saw it.

Much like the Hyūga, maybe the Otsutsuki was bitter about the main house... But unlike them, they really rebelled and wiped them out.

That blast from the Tenseigan must be the same explosion that caused the scratches on the buildings.

But there has to be something more... Why would that man warn them about an Otsutsuki?

Poor Hinata-sama, she might have seen something more, too much to take in.

Sakura flinched as Neji suddenly stood up and walked away, saying "I'm going to check on Hinata-sama"

"Tsk..." She tisked as she looked up at the artificial moon "Hinata, Hinata, Hinata... It's always that hormonal bitch..."

\- - -

"You promised me that you'd tell me everything from then on since the war! You're keeping something from all of us, Hinata!"

Menma waited silently behind the wall, listening to the arguments of the cousins.

"Fuck off, Neji! It's my life! Quit meddling, you smartass jerk! I'm not obliged to tell you anything!"

Menma could hear all the venom in Hinata's voice. Never had she used that tone against Neji eversince the war...

"It's not just yours, dammit! Hinata, Hanabi's life is counting on us too! Get that through your head, will'ya?!"

Menma never heard Neji say Hinata's name without any suffixes before. No... They weren't fighting as Hyūgas, but as siblings. And Neji was the older brother in charge, and Hinata was the stubborn little sister.

"And since when did you even care about my little sister, huh?! Don't think I didn't notice! You always ignored her! You always overlooked her! Lemme guess! You're only worried about me that's why you're worried about her! You care because I care!"

"Hinata, listen to me. I'm doing this for y-"

"Dammit! You always put me before anything else! It's always about me to you! You almost died during the war, Neji! Why is it always about me when it comes out of your mouth!"

"I'm only looking after you"

"Nosy! Nosy nosy nosy! Nosy Neji! That's what you are!"

"Fine! I'm nosy! Now tell me! I know you saw something! Tell me!"

"Fuck off! Get out of my life! I don't need you! Get out, get out, get out!!!"

"Fine. If you want it that way, then fine"

Menma suddenly saw Neji's shadow move, soon enough, the Hyūga walked out of the room with a heavy frown, completely ignoring the Namikaze.

The blonde didn't know what to do. Never had he ever seen or heard a real verbal fight.

Hinata almost always was in a verbal fight. But never was it this serious. He knows, she's always around him anyway.

Should he make sure she's alright?

He didn't hear sobs coming from inside the room, so she wasn't crying. Loudly, at least.

Taking in a deep breath, he decided to walk in.

As he stood in front of the entrance, his eyes automatically fell upon the scarf she was knitting.

 _"Still knitting... Do you really have to knit forever just to give it to me?"_ He thought, his heart clenching.

"Hey, um... I came to check on-" "Shut up and get out" Hinata suddenly hissed, Menma stopped by the entrance.

He shifted his weight from one leg to another, not knowing what to do, "I... I just wanna know if you're alright, you fainted and all... And I heard yelling... And stuff..."

"I'm completely fine! Now fuck off, Menma!"

The two of them flinched.

Hinata looked up and saw all the pain in his eyes, instantly regretting yelling.

"-kun... Menma-kun..." She corrected herself, shaking her head and bowing her head down, focusing on the scarf, "Please... I just want to be alone, Menma-kun..."

"Alright..." Menma weakly said "When you're ready to talk, I'm willing to listen, okay?"

The blonde felt sadness take over as Hinata didn't even reply.

He sighed and turned to walk away. But he stopped and turned his head to look at her again, still silent as she worked on the scarf.

"Hey, Hinata?"

Hinata pursed her lips together, her fingers stopping for a brief second. His gentle and soft voice catching her off-guard.

"I'm always here for you, okay?"

Menma looked down sadly, still not receiving an answer from her.

Defeated, the Namikaze walked out the room. Deciding he didn't want to go too far away from her, Menma sat down the nearest staircase, resting his head against the dusty wall.

\- - -

The sun was finally up and the team was already moving on to the next village they'd spot.

Menma hopped on his bird and bent down, reaching his hand down to help Hinata up.

But the bluenette only stared blankly at his hand, then walking passed it, coming over to her cousin.

Neji immediately knew what she meant by just coming close. He then carried Hinata up the bird and rode the same bird with her.

The blonde looked at her with pain. What's going on? He thought she said she wanted Neji out of her life... Why is it suddenly him that seemed to have disappeared?

The group of shinobi then proceeded to travel by sky, the Hyūgas leading the way.

Sakura then took a side glance at Menma, but gasped in surprise.

Menma was staring at Hinata. There was that look of desperation in his eyes. As if he was begging for Hinata to look back at him.

The same look she always had for him...

\- - -

It was as if Hinata was intentionally getting rid off him.

"I wanna go with you, nii-san" Hinata said as she tugged on Neji's sleeve, he nodded and said "Alright, Hinata-sama and I are paring up from now on"

"No"

The entire group looked at Menma in shock. His voice firmly objected.

"Excuse me?" Neji asked "Is there something wrong, Menma?"

"Obviously" Menma said, crossing his arms across his broad chest, "Part of our mission is to protect the two of you. I don't agree with leaving you two alone, dattebayo"

Shikamaru chuckled under his breath as he watched the glare fight between Neji and Menma.

"If that is so" Neji said "I guess you do have a point"

"I'm pairing with Sakura" Hinata said to Neji at he looked up at him, Sakura suddenly jumped and screamed "Huh?!?! You and the fabulous moi?!"

"No, Hinata" Menma said, standing in front of her as an attempt to catch her attention, "You're the real target among the two of you, you're coming with me"

"He is the sharpest kunai in the pouch..." Sai muttered, trying to escape the possibility to be paired up with Hinata.

"Tsk!" Hinata tisked, deciding to just walk off.

Neji turned on his heal and followed Hinata, only to freeze in place as he heard Menma plead "Please, Neji... I need to talk to Hinata..."

There was something about the way the Namikaze said that line that triggered something in Neji.

It was similar to the way Hinata begged him to help when they first found out Hanabi was gone.

_"Please, Neji... I need help to find Hanabi..."_

"Let's go, Sakura" Neji said, walking off to the opposite direction, motioning Sai and Shikamaru to their directions.

Sakura could only oblige. Everything was just too confusing to her!

\- - -

Hinata surely kept her distance.

Menma looked ahead and watched Hinata lead the way.

He tried walking beside her, but she'd always speed up to distance herself from him.

She didn't even look at him.

She didn't even talk to him.

It was as if she truly was trying to get rid of him.

So Menma decided to only oblige to her wish and keep a certain distance between them.

But Menma never left her. There was a distance, but he made sure they were together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Aaaaand, scene!
> 
> Whoo! That was a work-out! I was exhausted just by reading that hahahahaha I swear, sibling fights are the worst.
> 
> Anyway! It's me again, Author 1! I figured I should let Author A rest first, so I won't be bothering her until she reaches out. She needs rest, and I understand.
> 
> So, Chloe! When you read this, you better comment "Thank you for your kind consideration, my queen!" with three kissy emojis and four different colored hearts! Or else I will (just pretend that there's a threat following this, because I can't think of anything rn, and because I probably won't do it either :P). You have until next week Friday to do so or else I will do it! (literal empty threat)
> 
> So, moving on...
> 
> What the heck?! Hinata's avoiding Menma?!
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


	19. What She Wants

It was their second night in, and the team set out camp to the building nearest to the border so that they'd be out first thing in the morning to search the next town.

Amongst the group, there was the sound of their crackling bonfire, Sai, Shikamaru, and Sakura talking, but no Hinata talking, still.

Menma sadly watched Hinata as she pulled out her sleeping bag and setting it far from his.

Something was bothering her. And now, it's bothering him too.

What could it be that she's hiding from Neji? From him? From everyone?

Hinata's very outspoken and head on. It's always obvious if she's hiding something, so everyone's being suspicious of her.

But Menma wasn't suspicious of her. He was suspicious of her secret.

Suddenly, he felt a looming presence.

Turning, he looked out the window and saw a pair of glowing eyes, icy blue, glaring into his ocean blue ones.

He knows whose those were.

With one quick look at Hinata who didn't seem to want to be going anywhere else by now, he decided to get rid of the creep.

Neji looked up at Menma, and the blonde motioned out, indicating he's going to scout, so the Hyūga nodded and let him leave.

As the tall and muscular blonde jumped out the window, he indeed noticed the icy blue eyes following him down.

As he landed, the man stalked deeper into the woods slowly, as if to follow him.

Menma cautiously followed as Toneri walked backwards.

The white haired man lead them, not to a clearing, but in a very cramped area with lots of trees. Where none of the men could have the upper hand.

Which confirms Menma's suspicion. This was just another one of Toneri's intangible illusions.

No point of fighting. It came to talk.

"What do you want?" Menma asked rather calmly.

Expecting a childish reply, he was surprised when Toneri said "You've caused Hinata enough pain, you bastard"

"What do you want?" Menma repeated, but this time, much more aggressive.

Tisking, Toneri said "I want... Nothing. From you, at least. I want nothing from _you_ "

"You want Hinata. Why?" The blonde asked, being more forward, the white haired man crossed his arms and said "She's not yours, is she?"

It was as if none of the two listened to the other.

"What do you want?!"

"What does _she_ want?!"

What Toneri spat took Menma by surprise.

Icy blue eyes glared into ocean blue ones. Much to the latter's surprise, his opponent started to laugh.

"That's right! You don't know! But, I? I do. So let me do her a favor and let you know; She wants to move on from you. She wants you gone. Because she wants to be loved" Toneri said as he walked closer "You, you've done _nothing_ but _hurt_ her! Nothing!"

The Namikaze could only stand in silence.

"But me... _I_ love her" Toneri said, his eyes softening for a second before returning to a glare, "You don't deserve Hyūga Hinata! You're too late, you bastard!"

"Shut up!" Menma snapped, his fist punching the intangible man, simply passing through it, but with his frustration, he didn't stop his assault as he continued to rant, "How can you say you love her when you hurt her little sister, eh?! You're the one hurting Hinata! Come back here, I'm not done with you!!"

Toneri slowly disappeared, but not before whispering again "You're too late"

As the man disappeared, the other stood frozen in place.

His heart was burning.

In anger.

How dare he claim that he's too late! That he loves her! Who was he to even claim that?!

Bullshit to him! It was like Toneri was the spoiled child who had the last limited edition ramen but still wants to buy the whole restaurant to himself, even though he haven't eaten ramen before!

Instead, Hinata was the ramen, and her love is the restaurant- Menma swears, this whole love thing is messing him up.

Menma punched the nearest tree, cracking the trunk, now threatening to fall.

Toneri has something to do with Hinata's silence! He's sure of it!

That man-child will pay!

Menma turned on his heel and walked back to camp, regaining hid calm composure.

Menma reached the foot of the building and climbed up the flight of stairs.

As he reached the top, he stopped on his tracks as he almost bumped into Hinata.

Out of instinct, she looked up and met eyes with him.

The blonde was surprised as her eyes no longer looked confident, feisty, nor strong.

No. They were soft. They said pain, regret, and loneliness.

She quickly looked down and slipped passed him, making sure not to make any contact.

Hinata half expected him to catch her wrist in his hand and finally demand to have a talk, but it never came.

Menma couldn't. He froze. Why? Because Menma didn't fail to notice the scarf in her hands.

He then frowned.

 _"What the fuck is going on?!"_ Menma thought as he silently followed her out _"She's avoiding me, but she's still knitting for me?! Dammit!"_

He silently followed her into the woods, fuming in the depths of his mind.

It didn't take long before Hinata finally reached a clearing with a nearby pond.

What seemed to be a cross of fireflies and butterflies surrounded the area, acting as Hinata's light.

Menma stopped, he froze.

He was suddenly afraid to talk to her. She wanted distance.

She wanted to be far from him.

Hinata wants to stay away from Menma.

Maybe... _"Now's not a good time, is it?"_ He thought, cowering away.

Still he never left.

He decided to hide behind a tree and lean against it, but he didn't mask his chakra, he was letting his presence known.

He wanted her to know that he's there.

For what ever reasons she was pushing him away, he wanted her to know that he'll always be there and that he has no intentions of leaving.

It remained like that for minutes.

Minutes that felt like eternity.

But she wasn't hating on his presence.

 _"What if she's waiting?"_ Menma suddenly flinched, _"Am I still making her wait?"_

Menma suddenly stood. No more beating around the bush. Much more literally in his case.

"Hinata..." He started, but then she spoke, cracks of sadness lacing with it, "What the fuck is wrong with me?"

Menma knelt in front of her and gently grabbed her shoulders "Listen to me, there's nothing wrong with you, dattebayo"

"Nothing?!" She suddenly snapped, pushing him to his behind, "Are you blind?! I'm knitting while my fragile little sister is at bitch knows where! I've done nothing to find her yet!"

"But that's why you're here!" Menma snapped back "You're the one who's blind if you think you've been doing nothing when you came all the way here searching for her!"

"Why are you yelling at me when you could have just told me?!" Hinata taunted, standing up to tower over his fallen state, "Why? Are you mad, huh?!"

"Hell yeah, I'm mad!" Menma yelled back, standing up to tower over her instead, "You've been keeping secrets, Hinata! And you're not telling even your cousin! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"That's what I asked you! I don't know!" The Hyūga kicked the dust as tears started to brim the corners of her eyes "Why are you so mad at me for just a secret?! I'm not obliged to tell you anything!"

"Because there's a fuckin' bastard out there to steal you away from me!" Menma yelled "I'm trying to protect you, but you keep pushing me away! What the hell?!"

"Then stop trying to prot-" "I won't! Don't you understand that I love you that's why I'm trying?! I can't let anyone take you!" The blonde bursted "Why the fuck does everything about you have to be so difficult?!"

Menma was taking heavy breaths as he glared down at Hinata, who only returned it by looking at him stupidly, her mouth opened free to catch the butterflies.

"W-..." She muttered "What did you say?"

"Are you deaf too?!" Menma asked, still fuming, "I asked why everything has to be so hard when it comes to you!"

"I meant before that, jackass!" Hinata hissed, Menma froze, trying to remember what he said.

"I won't! Don't you understand that I-"

Then it hit him.

Menma felt his heart stop the moment that he realized what he blurted, then it started beating a ridiculous pace.

"I... I-I..." Menma didn't know what to say. He didn't plan his confession to be like this! It's a mess!

It was supposed to be after he got rid of that Toneri bastard, saved Hanabi, and took her. Then he would've taken her to the Hokage Mountain. Then she would've been so happy to be alone with him, but then she'd most likely start complaining about how high they were. Then she'd start screaming stuff like what if they fell. Then he would've said that it's too late, because he already fell. Then she'd be confused. Then he'd say fell for her. Then he'd steal a kiss from her. Then- Gah!!! It was all planned out!

Even Hinata fell silent. For the first time, patiently waiting for someone to search for words.

"I guess it can't be helped..."

"I said..." Menma gathered up all his courage and looked into her eyes, showing her all his sincerity, fear, honesty, courage, and longing, into four simple words, "I love you, Hinata"

Menma held his breath.

Hinata's eyes widen in shock. Was she hearing right?

Is this a dream?

What's going on?!

The blonde noticed that she wasn't really processing his words properly, that she was overwhelmed. He held up a hand to reach out for her.

"Hina-" "No!"

Suddenly, Hinata's hand flew up and slapped his hand away, she suddenly glared up at him with all her tears freely flowing down, "Why now, huh?! Are you fuckin' kidding me?! I hate you!"

Menma's heart broke in half. No... Not just in half. It shattered unevenly into tiny bits.

"I hate you! I hate you!" She screamed as she stomped her feet "Fuck off! Stay away from me! I wish you were never in my life in the first place! I wish I never met you! Why am I even still associated with you?!"

Menma listened to each of her words, letting it sink in and slowly and painfully kill him inside.

"Th-That's..." She choked out as she pushed him back "That's what I always felt that you thought about me! You're a bastard! I thought you hated me!"

"Is that what she thinks?" Menma thought in shock, falling faster into the spiralling darkness of his mind that those words weren't what she felt for him, but what she thought he felt about her. "Am I that rotten?"

"Fuck you, Menma!" Hinata yelled, giving him another shove, "You really thought I was going to wait for you forever?! Well guess what?! I won't! You're too late! I don't love you anymore! In fact! Fuck off! Stay away from me! I wish you were never in my life! And everything else! I've had it with you!"

Now everything didn't hurt anymore.

"You're too late"

No.

Now, he felt nothing. Completely numb. Completely dead.

As he stood there frozen in place, Hinata heaved in and out heavily out of anger, sadness, and pain, her tears not ceasing to fall.

"Hi-na-ta-chaaaaaan!!!"

Hinata wiped away her tears as Toneri floated down on a floating platform.

She suddenly picked up the scarf she was knitting and shoving it to Menma's chest.

Menma flinched and looked up at her in surprise, "Why is she still giving me this?"

Hinata then sharply walked away, whipping her hair in the process, then climbing up the platform with Toneri.

"H-Hinata..." Menma choked out in terror.

Hinata's cold eyes then met with Menma's.

"Menma..." She said "This is goodbye"

And just like that...

She slowly drifted away. Farther. And farther. And farther.

Until she was out of reach.. In the arms of another man.

"HINATAAAAA!!!!!"

\- - -

"Hinata-sama!" Neji gasped, hearing Menma's yell.

Hastily kicking the rest of his teammates awake, he quickly told them what he heard.

\- - -

Why is he being so stubborn?

Hinata glared at Menma as he summoned clones to jump after them.

Why won't he give up?

Her heart stopped as a puppet got between them, shooting the blonde down.

Menma was clever enough to push himself out of the way.

Hinata hissed as she saw her cousin and the others catching him.

They should just stay away!

"Give Hinata back!!" Menma yelled with pure desperation in his voice, forming a threatening rasengan in his hand, Hinata hissed and yelled "Go away, Menma!"

"I won't give her back! She doesn't even wanna be with you!" Toneri taunted "Maybe that's why she agreed to marry me!"

It was another breaking news to Menma, "Marry?"

Toneri and Hinata squinted their eyes. That should keep him away.

"That's a lie!" Menma yelled, trying to convince even himself, "That's not true, Hinata! Please! It's not true, right?!"

Hinata only stared at him. But he could see it in her eyes. She's telling him that he's wrong.

Menma returned to his dead state of mind. His arms falling limp to his sides before freezing in place.

Nothing matters. Nothing. Not anymore.

Toneri then raised his chakra filled hand before sending a powerful ninjutsu towards Menma.

But Menma only stood and accepted the jutsu. He felt most of his chakra being siphoned away, tearing out his body, along with the bird he was using.

The mass of his chakra then fell to the ground, causing a massive explosion.

Hinata gasped and shoved Toneri, "What did you do to him?!"

"Just keeping you safe" Toneri said in a playful voice before showing her a familiar glowing orb, making her fall unconscious.

Hinata tried to fight the jutsu. She wanted to see if Menma was alright.

As the explosion died down, Hinata was relieved, Menma miraculously went out of it whole.

Knowing he was alive, Hinata finally let go and fell into darkness.

But Menma saw them, still...

Hinata's gone.

She chose Toneri over him.

Why?

"Hinata..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Hi it's me, Chloe!!!
> 
> So sorry about last time! Work was killing me but I survived and I'm back! 
> 
> Anyway, so many things happened in this chapter. 
> 
> Did you scream at the confession because I did haha
> 
> Toneri and Menma meeting wasn't in the movie nor the book, what did you think about it? 
> 
> What's going to happen now for Hinata? for the team? For Menma?
> 
> Let's find out in the next chapter next week. Are you as excited as I am right now? 
> 
> -ChloeLaPomme


	20. Otsutsuki Castle

Soft...

Why is it soft?

Hinata immediately opened her eyes and sat up.

Why is she on a bed?

She looked around and saw different regal furniture. Even the silk of her bed was rich, but it certainly has age.

She then looked out a huge window.

There were arches and towers outside, looked so surreal and dull. Not only that, but she's pretty sure that there were some small islands floating in mid air like the one they entered, but tiny. As if she's in a completely different world.

"Am I..." She wondered out loud.

She looked around. The room seems to be filled with expensive antiques adorned with golds and riches. It was spotless, not a speck of dirt present, and nothing could hide from her trained eyes, even if her Byakūgan isn't activated.

Then her questioning look turned into a victorious smirk, _"Hell yeah! I got in!"_

Hastily jumping off the bed, she quickly found her leggings and boots and put them on, not wasting time.

She quickly activated her Byakūgan and searched for one person first.

 _"There she is!"_ Hinata thought.

After turning off her Byakūgan, she silently opened the large door and closing it.

Hinata stopped in surprise, the large hall was reeking with age, along with dust and webs everywhere.

In contrast to her room, the rest of the mansion was simply disastrous!

Ignoring her observation, she then quickly made her way across the hall, making sure not to make a sound or squeak on the old floorboards that she was pretty sure to be infested with termites and silently entering a room.

Hinata then felt her heart break into millions of pieces.

There, laid helplessly on the bed, her little sister with her head wrapped to cover her eyeless sockets.

 _"He really took them..."_ Hinata thought.

~~~

"What do you want, Toneri?! I'll do anything!" Hinata begged "Just bring Hanabi home, safe!"

"W-What- Really?!" The man asked, his jaw dropping in disbelief, then his eyes started to sparkle and grabbed both her hands in his, "Marry me!"

"Huh?!?!" Hinata jumped back in surprise "What the hell?! That came out of nowhere!"

"Whoops! Did it?" Toneri laughed "But please hear me out..."

The Hyūga slipped back to a fighting stance, "Alright, you have until my patience runs out"

"This might be a little shocking, so I need you to be calm and understanding about the situation" Toneri said, Hinata then stomped her foot and screeched "Fuck you, you low life, son of a bitch, sissy, cowardly, bastard, that's a sorry excuse of a man who smells and looks like millions of dozens of pieces of unholy shit! You took my sister and attacked my village! And you expect me to stay calm and understanding?! Guess what?! Hell no, albino!"

Then Toneri stood silent. He then sighed and said "My clan... The Otsutsuki clan, we came from Hamura Otsutsuki. He wanted peace and harmony above all else. But as he watched over the Earth from the moon, he began to see, that what his brother worked hard for, the humans, are then monsters, humane acts and tranquility no more"

Hinata's shoulders sagged.

"Wars after wars were fought... Lives wasted. They abused chakra" Toneri said as he looked down "Hamura wanted to restart the Earth, so he made a celestial decree for us to end the Earth and bring it back to life after it stablizes"

Toneri looked up, "Hinata, if you come with me, we can get married and I can save you from the faith bestowed upon Earth! Then we will be the next of human raise, we can save the world!"

"B-But..." Hinata wavered "You hurt Hanabi and took her eyes!"

She shouldn't give in! Anyone who hurts Hanabi doesn't deserve anything!

"I'll give them back!" Toneri swore "If you agree to marry me, I will return her Byakūgan, and if you want, we can save her, too, she can be with us, too! Please, Hinata, you need to understand... The souls of Hamura and Hagoromo are suffering because of the stubborn war-freaks that claims to be humans. We can save them"

And with that, the dome dissolved along with the real Toneri, and Hinata stood frozen in place.

Should she listen to him?

Can he be trusted?

Why?

Millions of questions ran through Hinata's head, some even irrational. Something about this makes her feel so uncertain.

Who is Toneri?

"Hinata..." Toneri's puppet said, reaching out to her.

"I'll think about it" Hinata said, raising a hand, lightly slapping away the wooden hand, "But I need time to think, I can't just do, I need to think, please..."

The Toneri puppet stood up straight, with shock and pain across its face.She sighed and gave him pleading eyes, something she never does until now, "Please..."

"I'll willingly wait, princess!" Toneri's puppet cheered, clearly perking up with the semi-good news, wanting to embrace her.

"Fuck off, piece of shit!"

~~~

"Don't worry, Hanabi-chan..." Hinata gently whispered against Hanabi's ear, "I'll stop the Tenseigan..."

"Hey! Sharing secrets in our new home already?!"

Hinata's eye twitched as she turned to glare at the laughing over-grown child, "Can I be part of it?!"

Toneri's smile showed only pure joy and innocence. As if Hanabi's eyes aren't in his disgusting eye sockets.

Hinata's eyes squinted as she glared at the unsuspecting man.

"Hinata, I just wanted to tell you..." Toneri said as he walked towards the woman, holding her hands in his, "You don't know how happy I am now that you understand how I feel"

Hinata didn't speak, but disgust was painted all across her face. She did not expect him to notice that, though. People like Toneri? They're ignorant and insensitive with a naive perspective to life, stubborn and loud-mouthed. A person she didn't like. Everything that Menma isn't.

"Anyway!" Toneri clapped his hands together, he then flashed her a toothy grin and asked "Can you come with me? I wanna tour you around! Don't worry about Hanabi right now, she's resting. She'd be better before you know it!"

 _"You'll get what you deserve, bastard"_ Hinata thought as she glared into Hanabi's stolen eyes being used by the disgusting man, _"I'm gonna backstab you. Literally if I have to. To save Hanabi, to save the Earth. Even if it costs me my life"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Author 1 here!
> 
> I'm sick due to an injury,sooooo... I'll keep it short!  
> Done!
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


	21. The Ghosts of Yesterday

Toneri kept pushing dust and dirt out of their way as he grinned bashfully, "I'm sorry it's not clean around anywhere, I never had time to clean"

"Why don't you just tell your servant puppets to do it for you?" Hinata asked as she gave him a judgemental look, making sure to only walk on the what little clean path was made for her, "You have them to boss around, at least do it. It's their purpose after all"

Laughter of the kid-looking marionettes echoed as they ran passed them, playing tag.

"No, I'd prefer them free" The icy-blue eyed man said as he watched the little girls with soft eyes, "I never got to play, since I was the only child at the time. So I'd much rather see them play and hear them laugh, and maybe... I'd feel like I've experienced it myself, too"

The Hyūga couldn't help but glare at the man, "Surely, you don't have a sense of priority. This place is built by your ancestors, for you and maybe the following generations, too. You have to take care of it! Cherish what you have!"

Toneri looked down.

"Look at this!" Hinata yelled in awe as she looked up the beautiful armors hung on the walls, dusty and rusted, "Think of the history of this! And all of it will be gone... Just because you didn't want to take care of it? Because you prioritized yourself?!"

Hinata could feel her anger boiling.

Not just the armors, no. She was talking about the Earth, too. If she was right, he was also the ancestor of Kaguya, so both him and the people of the Earth came from the same root.

And he just wants to destroy it?

He is unforgivable.

His parents died when he was still young. No wonder he doesn't know what it was like to love a family.

To understand what it means to take care of his home!

To care about-

Hinata was now given more of a reason not to look into his eyes. Firstly, because those weren't his. Now, secondly, because he doesn't know what it means to see the value of anything.

He was too busy chasing after what he doesn't have that he failed to cherish what he already does.

Because he was letting what was told to him brainwash him. He was too busy being a puppet himself.

"I-If..."

Hinata flinched as she looked back at him.

"If I cleaned this entire castle..." Toneri asked as he looked at her with hopeful eyes, "Would that please you?"

"Not me" Hinata said as she walked passed him, shoving him aside, "But your family"

As Hinata started to walk away, her hair swinging to the beat of her swaying waist, Toneri nodded and formed one simple hand-sign.

Suddenly, all the marionettes stopped and started to take cleaning materials, untouched for years, and started cleaning the castle, all of the rooms and halls.

The bluenette woman was surprised at the sudden action.

She sharply turned with a snarl and screamed "If this is one of your attempts to make me fall for you, it's not wo-"

"Ack!" Toneri suddenly felt a sudden wave of pain through his eyes, making him slam against the wall.

Hinata only stared in shock, regaining her composure, she stomped her feet and asked "Are you sick or something?! You better rest, moron! I don't want your virus on my sister's eyes!"

"N-no" Toneri said as he forced a smile, slowly recovering, "I'm okay, really. I would be much worse if I'm not with you. I'd hate to leave you alone"

Hinata snarled. It's impossible to get rid of this guy.

"Now, nevermind me!" The Otsutsuki said with a bright smile, pushing back his evident pain, "Let's continue the tour! I'll show you my favorite place! Come on!"

\- - -

"Here we are!!!" Toneri cheered.

Hinata put her hand to her waist as she analyzed the historic building, seemed to have been built extra strong and sturdy.

"Some sort of temple?" She asked, he grinned and nodded "Yep! This is where our wedding ceremony would occur! Here, there's this special place inside, too!"

He then grabbed her wrist and dragged her in like an excited child pulling his mother into a candy store.

"Look, here's a secret passage!" He said as he stopped in front of what looked like an altar "But don't tell the others, it's a secret between the two of us"

"Why is it secret?" Hinata asked, her interest peaked, "Is it because the Tenseigan is behind it?"

"Nope" He laughed "It's the Room of Rebirth! After we destroy the Earth, that is where we'd be put in a state of slumber until the Earth re-stablizes! Don't worry! We'll take Hanabi-chan in there, too!"

"How stupid!" She shrieked "Won't the moon also be destroyed if we fire?!""

Toneri jumped back in surprise as he frantically waved his arms around, "No no no no no! We're completely safe here! You see, the Tenseigan's so powerful, it also protects this place!"

"I see..." Hinata said as she smirked, she then pulled up the best seductive look she could make as she cooed "The Tenseigan sounds so powerful~ Can you show me where it is?"

The man suddenly burned red as he jumped to form a distance, his heart beating at an uncontrollable rate, with blood rushing to the place where the sun doesn't shine, "A-Ah!! O-O-Of course, Hi-"

Then a flash of Menma's face appeared in his head, making Toneri meet the cold reality.

As long as Hinata still isn't his lawfully wedded wife, she couldn't be fully trusted.

Especially with _him_ still constantly in her mind.

Toneri felt his heart sting and his shoulders slump, dragging his feet out of the temple and away from the woman.

Hinata suddenly became furious. What a damage to her womanly esteem! How dare he just walk away from her art of seduction!!

"Hey! What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Hinata shrieked as she marched after him, grabbing his collar as she pulled him down to her height, her Byakūgan flaring in threat, "Is that how you treat a woman?!?!"

Toneri only took a couple of steps back, making Hinata surprised. He looked depressed.

"Fine, if you wanna be that way, then good! I'll be as far away as possible from you!" She threatened "I'm going back to my room, it's freezing out here!"

The Otsutsuki clearly returned to his normal state as he jumped "No! Please! Don't go, I'm sorry. I-It was just that the weather got to me. You see, it's dusk here all year long, so it is pretty cold"

Crossing her arms and quirking an eyebrow up, she tisked and said "And you're saying that 'cause...?"

"Ah, you got me..." Toneri laughed awkwardly as he shyly rubbed his hands behind his back "You see... I sorta like scarves, and I'm wondering... Maybeee...."

"Just get on with it!" Hinata yelled, her Byakūgan still glaring into his soul, making him sigh and get to his point, "Can you knit me a scarf?"

"What?" She deadpanned.

Then Menma came to her mind.

She sighed and said "Fine. Just take me inside"

"Sure! Let's go!" He cheerfully said, leading the way.

Hinata followed closely behind him as her Byakūgan died down.

 _"It wasn't around the area"_ Hinata tisked to herself _"I've bought as much time as I could to scan the entire area I could see, but nothing seems suspicious"_

~ ~ ~

_"Byakūgan princess!"_

_The man laughed out. Neji was about to jump infront of his precious cousin, but was beat to it as Menma growled and stepped infront of her protectively and growling "Stay away from her!"_

_"Oh?" The man came to an abrupt stop, only to start choking._

_He opened his eyeless sockets, surprising Menma, but his stance didn't waver._

_The man then opened his mouth, a glowing orb coming out._

_As it finally comes out, the man suddenly dropped to his knees weakly._

_The orb started glowing brighter and brighter. Then it stopped._

_Hinata saw that her surroundings suddenly changed._

_"Huh?" She said outloud, but her voice seemed to have only echoed, she then looked down to her hands and saw that she was translucent, "What the fuck?"_

_She then looked up and realized that she was in the middle of a battlefield._

_She gasped as she saw two armies both waiting for the first one to attack._

_She looked up to her left and saw flags with the same pattern she saw in the temples, tombs, and buildings._

_They looked furious._

_Then she turned to her right, to see men holding up flags with the same symbol on Toneri's garbs. They all had smug looks, confident, dare she say it. Faces that never shows up during war, for sure._

_Only to her surprise, there was something._

_Something that was radiating with chakra._

_She activated her Byakūgan and had her jaw dropped as she saw the massive amount of chakra. Limitless chakra._

_"What's going on?!" She tried to ask, secretly afraid since she was standing in the middle._

_"_ **_Attack!"_ **

_Hinata freaked as she waved her arms around "No! Don't! There's no good in war, I swear!"_

_There's only suffering. That's for sure. Hinata knows since she's been to one. She almost lost Neji..._

**_"Tenseigan! ACTIVATE!"_ **

_It was almost as if watching her worst nightmare as the giant weapon glowed golden, shooting a small amount of its chakra towards the left army, obliterating them effortlessly._

_Then suddenly -_

_Hinata saw that she was back to the crypt, she sharply turned and asked "Neji! Did you see-! Neji?"_

_Then she realized she was alone, "What the fuck?! Where am I?! Where's my cousin?! Neji!!! Menma-kun!!!"_

_Then suddenly, she saw the tombs turn into people, as if the ones being honored replaced it._

_"Byakūgan Princess! Welcome!"_

_Hinata turned and saw the same man she saw before. Only, more... Alive._

_"You! Where'd you take me?!" Hinata threatened as she activated her Byakūgan._

_It only seemed to excite the man more, he then cheered "It really is you!"_

_Suddenly, all the men started clapping and cheering, as if their savior arrived. Well, their savior did arrive, she just didn't know yet._

_"What the hell's going on?!" She screamed "You barbarians better explain!"_

_"Alright, let me explain" The man said, calming down just a tad bit enough to talk properly, "Princess, we are the descendants of the great Otsutsuki Hamura himself! We belonged to the main family of the Otsutsuki clan!"_

_"Otsutsuki Clan of the moon..." Hinata muttered "You mean- As in the Hyūga Clan's roots?!"_

_"Exactly!" He smiled, then it turned to a sad smile, "But... The side branch betrayed us and stole Hamura's treasure and used it against us, killing us off the face of the moon... They didn't understand Hamura's decree!"_

_"What do you mean?!" The Hyūga asked, sensing the urgency, the Otsutsuki then explained "Byakūgan Princess, they thought Hamura wanted to destroy the planet his brother created when it allegedly failed. Now, the time has come, and Toneri, the sole survivor of the Otsutsuki Clan, plans to destroy the Earth in just days"_

_"What can I do?" She asked, he nodded and said "Destroy the Tenseigan, the weapon, Hamura's treasure, and the Earth shall be safe from Toneri's threatening moon. Only you could destroy it, since you are a direct decendant of Hamura, only those who have his blood can touch it, or else the person's chakra would be absorbed"_

_"Then, how come Toneri's the last one?" Hinata asked, the man then said "They made the Tenseigan stronger, bigger, and deadlier by offering their eyes, which lead them to their own doom. And Toneri, being a child, survived and grew accustomed to blindness"_

_"I see..." The Hyūga muttered, suddenly, the man grinned and stepped sidewards, "Stay there! He's here!"_

_Hinata was confused, especially when the soldiers cheered and shuffling to make way._

_Then in the middle, a grinning old man ran up to her with the brightest smile she's seen._

_The same smile engraved on the Hyūga Temple._

_"You're..." She gasped "Otsutsuki Hamura!"_

_"And you're the Byakūgan Princess!!" He laughed, he then started to reach out to pat her head, "I know you can do it! You can save the world my brother worked hard for!"_

_As his hand touched her head, she felt massive amount of chakra being passed to her._

_Otsutsuki Hamura's chakra was passed to Hyūga Hinata._

_It was overwhelming. It was powerful. It was other-worldly._

_Then she suddenly started to sway, losing consciousness, dropping down._

_"Hinata!" Menma yelled as he caught her._

~ ~ ~

 _"First, I have to find the Tenseigan"_ Hinata thought as she watched Toneri run around the room, searching for yarn and materials, _"Then I'd destroy it. But I'll have to get rid of this idiot..."_

She then smirked confidently as she looked out the massive window, now clean and spotless.

_"Don't worry, Hamura. You can trust me"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> So, no new scene between Menma and Hinata but more interaction with Toneri. 
> 
> And the conclusion of this chapter: 
> 
> Toneri's getting a scarf from Hinata, but is it a good thing? He should really be careful with he because something dark surrounds her. What am I talking about? 
> 
> Let's see that in the next chapter ^^
> 
> Don't hesitate to comment and thank you all for reading :)
> 
> -ChloeLaPomme


	22. Is Red the Color of Love or Blood?

Strings of yarn as red as the rich velvety hair she saw on his mother's head, and richly made knitting needles too beautiful to be used. She would take all of the time she needed for her plan to be perfect.

And she started right now by taking her time to sit on one of the luxurious chairs.

She pushed her hair behind her shoulder, wiggled a bit on the chair to find a comfortable position then stretched out both her arms. It will become her routine.

Well maybe not because she could feel Toneri hungry eyes on her. Ok, she'll try to be less pretty doing all of this.

"I had my puppets get some materials before I dropped by to get you from Earth!" Toneri cheered "Awesome, right?! I mean... It's the best we could find"

"Yeah, fine, whatever" Hinata groaned as she rolled her eyes, slumping down to the old smelling sofa chair.

The beautiful bluenette sighed as she picked up the silky yarn between her fingers. She would knit to pass the time and think of her plan.

 _"How can I get rid of him?"_ She thought as she got started with knitting _"That bastard is like leech..."_

With a shake of her head, she continued to tie loops as her fingers moved along expertly, _"Red is such a lovely color..."_

The bluenette's eyes soften at the thought. Afterall, red is the color of love.

 _"I bet I could knit a sweater using just Neji's hair..."_ She giggled at the random thought _"It would be so soft and silky, too"_

Then suddenly, an image of Neji wearing his hair as a beanie popped in her head, making her giggle to herself more, _"What would Lee and Tenten think?"_

And knowing Neji? He'd probably let her do it, too. That asshole of a brother of hers would do anything she says.

As what little she formed from the yarn started to look like a scarf, her eyes squinted in wonder _"I wonder what Menma-kun would have said if I gave him that one after his confession?"_

_"Don't you understand that I love you that's why I'm trying?!"_

She started to blush, _"Menma-kun actually likes me..."_

Forgetting all of her problems for a moment, Hinata let the fact sink in as she basked in the glory of her memories.

How his beautiful blue eyes looked directly back into hers as his perfectly sculpted jaw moved along with the movements of his mouth, his fupp lips, as he confessed his love to her.

But that Toneri just had to come.

Such a beautiful nightmare she had to go through.

But she had to do it... For Hanabi!

"You're so beautiful, Hinata... You look like an angel..." Toneri suddenly said from the seat across her, "And once married to me... You'd be a Goddess"

Hinata's dainty hands stopped the motions of her knitting, freezing at what he said.

"Looks as innocent as yourself... So perfect"

His words triggered something.

Hinata's dainty hands stopped the motions of her knitting, freezing at what he said. She had almost forget she wasn't alone in the room. He was still here.

"Looks as innocent as yourself... So perfect"   
His words triggered something within her. Something she tried to keep deep inside her. Something dark.

Really dark...

_**~** _

_"Papa!!! Help!!!" Little Hinata's muffled screams echoed a small area as she tried pulling her tiny wrist out of the grasp of the stranger dragging her away, "Papa!!!"_

_"Shut up, you little bitch!" The Kumo-nin growled as his patience ran out, removing his hand from her mouth to grab her by her hair and raised her up to his face, "Listen here! I can just kill you right here and now and just steal your eyes, you shitty brat!"_

_"Those are very bad words a-and you're a very bad person!" Hinata screeched before shoving forward and biting his nose until she felt something thick on her tongue. Until it bled._

_The man yelled in agony, throwing her back and alerting the entire Hyūga Compound in the process._

_The tiny heiress spat away the disgusting taste before glaring up the man, cleaning her mouth with the sleeves of her nightgown._

_She felt her own blood boil, goosebumps ran on her skin, remembering all the foul things that were hissed to her. Her heart bit with something strong. An urge to do something to that man who completely disrespected her! Hyūga Hinata, the heiress!_

_She picked up a rock and threw it to his groin, making him groan as he bowed down in pain, giving her the perfect angle for an attack._   
_Mustering up all her chakra into her opened palm, Hinata screamed as she landed the most powerful gentle fist to his chest that her tiny body could ever build up._

_The man felt all the chakra of his body die down as his muscles tore at the powerful wave of chakra the little girl forced into him, making him spit out blood, staining her porcelain cheek._

_The Kumo-nin fell limp to the Hyūga heiress's feet, blood trailing down from his mouth to his chin._

_With a steady breath, Hinata, knowing never to give mercy towards an enemy, raised her foot and stomped on the man's neck with all of her remaining strength, hearing a sickening crack as blood started to pool from the man's mouth._

_He wasn't breathing, moving, nor speaking anymore._

_She killed him._

_Three year-old Hinata killed her kidnapper._

_Realizing what she had done, all of the adrenaline that rushed through her veins disappeared, that dark urge was full, content, as she gasped in horror, falling back to her butt as she distanced herself from the corpse._

_Hearing heavy footsteps, Hinata felt her tears start to freely flow as she saw her father along with many other Hyūgas stare in shock._

_"What took you so long?!" She screeched as she struggled up to her feet and stomping it down in anger, "I-I almost got kidnapped!"_

_Through the corner of her eyes, she could see clearly what she has done, and she knew it would forever haunt her._

_That dark feeling will come back._

_**~** _

Her eyes turned cold and lifeless as she stared at the yarn connected to her palms.

Red is also the color of blood.

She's no angel. She's far from innocent.

Hinata killed a man ruthlessly, and it scarred her entire being, losing her innocence at a very young age.

"You actually think that I am innocent, huh?"

Toneri froze at her sudden cold tone.

Hinata slowly looked up at him with a psychopathic look as she spoke with words dripping with venom, "You don't know who I am, Toneri"

Channeling to her sadistic side, Hinata smirked, _"Maybe I could scare him away"_

The heels of her boots clicked on the newly polished wooden floor before stopping directly infront of him, leaning down in a horrifying manner as she gave him a look of blood lust, lifting his chin with her hand as she stared into his soul.

"I'm a murderer. And I've been that for the majority of my life" The Hyūga said in a sickening tone "I murdered him because I didn't like what he said to me. Who knows what I would do if someone were to do something I didn't like?"

Hinata towered over Toneri like a snake circling its prey.

Suddenly, she felt his disgusting grubby hands grab her waist, making her flinch in surprise as he gave her a lustful look.

"Honestly? I find it hot that you have a dark side to you, babe" Toneri said in a flirtatious husky voice "And isn't it amazing that you're finally opening up to your fiancé?"

With a frustrated groan, Hinata darted back as she slapped his cheek, marching back to her own seat and harshly picking up her work.

 _"That disgusting, perverted, slimy bastard!"_ She thought in pure hatred _"Gross!!! Not even that could scare him away?!"_

She clicked her tongue as she stomped back up to her feet, Toneri raised a brow and asked "Where are you going?"

"I'm fuckin' hungry, and I want food! I'm raiding your kitchen!" Hinata growled with an unwomanly sound, making him jump up from his seat and yell "I'll have the marionettes prepare a feast!"

"You think I'm fat?!" She screeched, making him flinch and shake his head frantically and deny "N-No! No! It's not like that!"

\- - - - -

"I knew it..." Neji hissed as he glared ahead into the artificial sun with some goggles they just so happened to have, "That bastard took my sister to the artificial sun"

"How could you have known?" Sai asked, the Hyūga simply ignored him as he continued to talk to no one in particular after activating his dōjustu, "How are we gonna enter? It's protected with some kind of seal"

Shikamaru then started laughing to himself, "Hey, guys. I just had this crazy idea..."

"No one trusts your ideas" Neji bluntly said, but Shikamaru only ignored him and held out a rigged kunai, "Let's knock and ask politely!"

Sai dramatically gasped as the Nara threw the kunai to the barrier, making a huge explosion, "The horror! We have alerted the enemy!"

Neji's eyes widen as he saw the enemies flying out of their posts on giant birds, "Wait!"

He carefully observed, then smirked as he saw the leading man form a bizarre handseal, opening a hole for him and his men to exit from.

"Alright! Let's go!" Neji yelled before diving away with his poorly drawn bird, with Sai eagerly following and Shikamaru a bit hesitantly as he asked "But we haven't asked yet!"

"Once Menma wakes up, we're storming that citadel!" The Hyūga proudly yelled "Sai! Cover us!"

"Superbeast scroll!"

A massive blob with eyes appeared, successfully blocking off the enemies as they retreated to their makeshift base.

\- - - - -

 _"I can't believe I settled for a salad"_ Hinata grumpily thought as she furiously shoved leaves of vegetables to her mouth, purposely ignoring the man who happily ate his own salad from across the table.

 _"How can I look for that stupid weapon now?!"_ She sighed _"You could've at least told me where it is, Hamura!"_

She huffed as she glared out the slightly dusty window, only to see a strange temple on its own tiny island.

"Is that temple moving on its own?" She accidentally asked out loud, making Toneri perked up and cheered happily "Oh! I almost forgot that it's the Rinne Festival!"

"What about it?" Hinata asked as she lifted a brow, he chuckled and said "Well, every year, Hamura's Temple shows up for one day after it's rotation all around this dome!"

"Eh? What's so special about it?" She asked, he chuckled and simply said "The Tenseigan's there, people pray for it there"

 _"Hamura, you son of a gun"_ Hinata smirked, "Hey, I wanna go there"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh crap.
> 
> Oh crap oh crap!
> 
> Nobody tell Chloe I updated this late hahahaha
> 
> Somebody sue me already for being always late updating here!
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


	23. Interlude 1 - I Know I Love You

"Well this was a bust" Hinata huffed. She then turned slowly with a pouting glare and said "And I blame _you_ "

"Well, how was I supposed to know it's gonna rain?" Menma grumbled back as he crossed his arms.

"Oh come on, Menma-kun..." The bluenette said as she rolled her eyes "This is literally the fifth date you've ruined"

"On my defence, Shikamaru showing up at that ridiculously expensive resto was not my fault" The blonde said as he raised his hands up in surrender, making her look at him with a poker face.

"Yeah, it's not like you said something along the lines of 'I found a perfect place with delicious food and beautiful view' on our way while we passed that idiot and his friends"

"Alright, fine. I'm sorry" He sighed.

But Hinata stubbornly sent her hair behind her shoulder and crossed her arms around her, "Alright! Take me home! I don't wanna get sick because of your poor planning skills!"

Menma really tried to be mad too because it wasn't his fault. But now? When he could only see her cleavage? It was difficult to stay way from his petite girlfriend. To be mad is almost impossible!

But, because Kushina taught him good manners, he quickly looked away. He knew it wasn't the proper way to look at a lady. Especially at an heiress like Hinata.

Yet, he found himself quickly looking back at his sulky girlfriend.

Why did he feel like he was committing a crime? He was only peaking on his sexy girlfriend.

Because it was kind of forbidden? Like it was forbidden for him to read Icha Icha?

But he did read these books behind his mom's back anyway.

And with this knowledge, he could tell that Hinata was fucking sexy tonight. And by the way she was standing, she knew it.

Instead of her usual provocative clothes, she was wearing a red dress. It was short, it was just long enough to cover what's supposed to be hidden, and it almost glued to her being, and with her beautiful hair, angelic face, and fearless gaze, she was the definition of sensuality.

She was like the forbidden fruit he so wanted to have a taste of but never actually said he wanted it out loud.

It was simply a sin to sink his teeth into that forbidden fruit. Plus, he wasn't feeling like he deserved it. He was such a fool with too much pride! He made her wait for so long!

He was really lucky when she didn't rejected him when he asked her out. Because, just like she said, he ruined five dates already. What she didn't say was it was in a row and that it was five out of six, the first one being the only one that really worked out.

He remembered she had the most beautiful smile on her face. She told him she could never say no to him.

And he wanted her to always have that smile on her face when she was with him, but right now, she was so much in display, he had trouble focusing on the priority.

His blue eyes wandered on her. On her upper-arms, her shoulders, her pretty breast barely covered by the red fabric. They looked so soft and so round and so heavy. They were so pale too. It should be so easy to leave hickeys all over that beautiful skin, collarbone or neck she was unconsciously showing at every guys around her.

Why was she dressed like that?

She was on a date with him!

She was his girlfriend!

He should be the only guy, the only one, to see so much of her skin exposed like that!

As if she could read his thoughts, she crossed her legs and her dress showed a little bit more of her soft thigh.

His eyes fell along her legs. They were so curvy, so strong. It should be so easy for Hinata to crush him between them.

She moved again and he recalled he was on a date. They weren't alone and people might be looking at her the same way he was shamelessly looking at her.

And he wasn't a teenager anymore. So he should act like a man.

Yet, green with envy, Menma's heart was now throbbing in his chest and his blood rushed to his face.

He'll show her. He'll make her understand that she didn't have to be the center of attention to have his affection anymore. Because he knew his feelings for her now.

He sat up from the Ichiraku's stool and stood protectively before her as he shrugged off his hoodie and throwing it over his girlfriend, "But our date barely even started, Hinata"

Losing her scowl, Hinata blushed as she internally swooned over how cool he sounded as she peeked from under the hood, "O-Okay...?"

"Got something to show you" he said as he put back one lock of her long, heavy hair behind her ear.

His fingers brushed against her cheek.

That gesture caught Hinata a bit by surprise. He could see it in her big doe eyes. With a smirk, he added. "C'me on!"

With one swift movement, Menma wrapped an arm around Hinata protectively as he ducked over her body. They quickly ran through the heavy rain, a poor attempt to keep her as dry as possible.

The Hyūga simply ran the direction her boyfriend turned her to, down a path she wasn't too familiar with.

"Where are we going?!" She yelled over the pitter patter of the heavy rain drops and their heavy footfalls over the pavement floor, but he simply pointed at a flight of stares that she was pretty sure she has never stepped on before.

But without anymore questions, they both carefully ran up the flight of stairs.

As the couple reached the top floor, Menma lead her to the last door before reaching out to the doorknob, cold from the rain. He too was freezing.

"Wait! Why are we breaking in?!" Hinata screeched as she pulled on his bicep to stop him, making him roll his eyes and show that he has a key, "What?! You stole a key, too?!?!"

"Oh shut up, don't trust me much?" He chuckled as he unlocked the door.

With a flick of a switch, several lights opened on que, revealing a simple and humble studio apartment, complete with a small television, a kotetsu, a sofa, a kitchen, two doors of what might be a bathroom and a decently sized walk-in closet, and a fairly sized bed. There were pictures framed on different tables and shelves, and Hinata could recognize everyone in every photos.

"I-Is this..." She managed to breathe out in awe as she looked around the apartment, opting both of her hands to cover her mouth in amazement.

But Menma's hand still holding hers stopped one of her hands.

"Please, let me help you with this."

Like at Ichiraku, his voice hypnotised her. His tone was soft yet low. She gave him back his wet hoodie and he quickly jogged towards what she supposed was his bathroom since he came back with a set of towels.

She was about to ask him one to dry her hair. Plus, she saw him shiver in cold earlier so he should take care of him first. Yes, she was sad their date went terrible but she didn't wish for him to be sick. However, he kept the set of towels close to him.

With a frown, she opened her mouth to protest but the sight of the room disappeared as the towel fell on her face. His hands were already working on drying her hair.

"Menma-kun!"

"Let me take care of you for once, dammit"

His tone was childish. She was sure he was smiling. He was pushing her buttons right now by destroying her hairstyle. Under the towel, she fought back.

When she succeed at stopping him, the towel fell off her face and she met two intense blue orbs. Her legs suddenly felt weak and her throat tightened.

Silence fell and they just stare at each other before he made the first step towards her. They completely forgot their attempt at getting dry. Her body was completely pressed against his, sandwiching her breast against his torso. His hand went south, caressing now her lower back. She shivered, never letting go of his gaze.

"Y'know. I don't like that dress" He heard she had difficulty to speak, which made him smirk, "Wanna know why?"

"For once, you're speaking way too much Menma-kun... Stop teasing me and kiss me already!"

She was blushing so hard, it was cute. He kept his thumb circling near her hip.

"I won't... not yet..."

Her hand didn't give him the choice as it grabbed his collar to approach his lips to hers. 

_"Damn, won't even let me finish the punch line... So impatient"_ He playfully thought as he bent towards her, closing his dry lips on her neck.

Some locks of her wet hair were sticking on her moist skin. Yet, she was burning. Hinata let a sigh pass her lips and he felt her grip almost rip his shirt.

He smiled. He was ready to set her body on fire like she did with his at the restaurant.

But, Hinata being Hinata, she threw the towel on the floor and pinned him against his door. She didn't want to play. Fire was already burning in her big lavender eyes. Those eyes which made his knees so weak.

Her hungry lips found his and she moaned, creating chills travel along his spine. Blood rushed south, between his legs. His ears rang as sloppy sounds were filling the room. His heart was beating like crazy. As a sign of victory, her tongue invaded his hot cavern.

It was so soft, so warm, so her!

They were so wet because of the rain, their clothes were suffocated them. Or maybe it was the sexual tension. Menma didn't know and he didn't care. He planned to get both obstacles out of his way.

As Hinata was pulling on his blonde hair, turning him on, he caught the end of her dress and pulled it over her head. His fingers brushed all the way her body, giving him a preview of the texture of her hips, stomach and sides. He dropped it on the floor and stared at the beautiful goddess before him, glowing in the light.

For a second, she seemed fragile. Half naked, she shivered in cold. So small yet, she was standing like the warrior, the heiress she was, and he knew that he will be the one to surrender tonight.

His fingers dug into the flesh of her hips, making her breasts bounce, and he brought her closer to him, close to his semi-hard on. Her perfume intoxicated him, giving him goosebumps.

With a mischievous smile, she rubbed his bulge against her lower abdomen. His jaw tensed, his lips parted. Lava was pouring in his whole being. Her hands wandered on his arms and caressed his biceps.

His head fell back against the wooden floor and she didn't wait to lick his still wet skin from the rain. She kissed his pulse and bit his jaw.

"Hinata..!" Grunting like an animal, he looked at her. Her pink lips was calling him to claim her. To make her his. He slid his hand on her thighs and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Now, as they breathed the same air, they could only see each other like they always wanted. Menma let his hand touch her cheek and Hinata tightened her embrace around him. Finally, they were both defenseless before the other.

It was scaring. It was exciting. It was perfect.

"I love you"

"And I love you"

This time, she gently pressed her hands on his nape and met her lips against his as he made his way to his bedroom with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Guys! This is one of my favourite chapter!
> 
> Can you believe author 1 allowed me to write such a scene?
> 
> The date at Ichiraku. Menma trying to not be jealous or possessive and fails. Hinata's sexiness. The tension! Ah, I love them.
> 
> I hope you liked it and that you still enjoying the story. Even if, it starts to get darker and darker.
> 
> By the way, any thought about that's going to happen in the next chapter? haha
> 
> -ChloeLaPomme


	24. Interlude 2 - That is Why

As she felt the softness of his mattress caress her back, she didn't let go of him. And so, he fell on her with only his arms holding himself up for support, preventing him from crushing her underneath him.

He then laid down on his side. They stopped their kissing. Again, they lost themselves in each other's eyes. Hers was so, so pure.

His attention was back on her hands, those who were nearly attacking the buttons of his shirt, pealing the shirt away from his shoulders.

She was shivering, but he knew that it was from excitement. Her fingers were now on his trousers and were ready to go deeper. Looking for his member.

He could do nothing but admire her. She was radiating with love and confidence.

But Menma was far less confident than her.  
His insecurities were wrapped around his mind. And so was lust. His guts were knotted and his groin was burning. He was overwhelmed by her. And he didn't know what to do with his body.

Yes, he wanted to show her how much he loved her. Because, he never said it. No, not properly. She chased after him all this time. And he never looked over his shoulder. He didn't have time. He had to train to become Hokage.

He should have practiced other things. Like how to plan a date with his girlfriend. How to make his girlfriend happy. How to express his deep feelings. Or how to show them.

Yes, he should have practiced what he read in Icha Icha Paradise with her. Because now, he was in bed with the most beautiful woman and he didn't have a clue of what to do with his hands.

Him? Menma Namikaze.

He thought he just had to plan how to get her in the mood - which kind of worked out in the hall - and everything would have followed.

But it didn't!

In his defense, life as a genius was hard. He thought she was going to let go of him. After all, he was always in the spotlight, her being ignored by the public in the progress. She was an attention seeker, afterall... But she didn't. Because she loved him.

His heart pounded wildly. His throat dried. He felt a light blush grow on his cheeks. He loved her, but the weight put on his shoulders was heavy. What if he's a genius at everything ninja related but he couldn't-

She sat on his naked lap and pulled him towards her.

Ok. He should focus on her. Not on him. Not on his weaknesses. On her. Because, he was naked but she wasn't.

Catching his lips, she let her fingers curl in his hair.

Ok. He could do it. He did it in the hall. He wanted to take care of her. He said it. He meant it. So, he could do it in bed too. No difference. Well, the only difference was that they weren't on their legs anymore. It should be easier than in the hall.

As he imagined, her thighs were crushing his hips. She grinded on him. He couldn't help but moan.

Ok. It felt so good. Ok. His turn to do something.

His fingers caressed her stomach. Went up. And up. As soon they touched the fabric of her bra, his hands went away. They landed on... her shoulders?

His eyes closed shut. He was so pathetic.  
She was the one pushing him, forcing him to lay down.

"What's wrong Menma-kun?" Her voice didn't sound mad or upset. Just really worried.

Of course, she could see right through him. He opened his eyes and almost had a heart attack. She was too damn beautiful. Head slightly tilted. Silky hair on her side, exposing her neck. Large breasts compressed in her red bra. Her skin lightly painted by a rosy blush. Strong stomach. Soft hands. Her weight was on his hips.

He was really turned on. Yet...

Should he tell her?

There was his pride talking again.

She was his girlfriend for Kami's sake. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her!

He should definitely tell her.

It was still hard to swallow. His face was burning.

"Hinata..." Man, his voice was about to crack. "A-Are you a v-virgin?"

What the hell? He wasn't supposed to say that!

"Wha- Why would you... Of course you big idiot! Isn't that obvious?!"

Really? It wasn't!

She was so sexy. Dangerous. Confident. She knew what she was doing to him, right?

How she made his body hot just with the feel of her curves pressing onto him. How she rubbed against him in the hall. She was hesitant back then. But she wasn't now.

Him? He was an anxious mess. And now, he was speechless.

Her hands left him to play with a lock of her long hair. Now, she didn't look like Hinata. She was chewing her bottom lip. Menma would love to kiss it. And she spoke so softly.

"Because... I want my first and only one to be Menma-kun..." She confessed, shyly looking at him behind her long eyelashes, her blush now clearly red.

This wasn't anything like the Hinata he knew! She wasn't shy, fidgety, and insecure! Yet... He couldn't help but love her still. He loves Hinata. No matter what personality she shows. And he was pretty positive she'd love any side of him the same.

Because that's what love is about. So what was it afraid of, seriously? 

She moved closer to him. Menma was sure he was going to die because his breath was stuck in his throat and his heart was ready to escape from his chest.

Fuck, she wanted him!

"W-What about you, Menma-kun?", his tongue ran on his dry lips. She seemed to be unable to watch him in the eye. "Have you done it... with s-someone else?"

"No, I haven't." His quick answer surprised both of them. But, he knew somehow that she was thinking about Sakura and/or his other fangirls.

She finally looked at him when he sat up. "Because", his arms wrapped around her petite frame. "You're the only one for me, Hinata. No matter what. Always remember that"

He felt bad now. She was willing to show him his vulnerability when he couldn't do it first. She was so brave.

"H-How do you know w-what to do?" He finally asked, blushing harder than before.

"Huh?"

He took her hands in his and put them on his torso. She must have understood what he meant because she started to caress his muscles.

"I just listen to my heart." She smiled. She was so pretty. "What does your heart tell you, Menma-kun?"

He should tell her. He tightened his arms around her. She was closer to him now.

"To kiss you."

"Then do it."

And he did. He kissed her lips. Not like in the hall because he wasn't performing. But with passion. Because he loved her. It was slow, but still powerful. She even sighed. It made him shiver.

He kissed her neck, her collarbone, her shoulder. He was soon stopped by the strap of her bra. He opened his eyes, catching sight of her half-closed eyes and parted lips.

Being back in control of his body, his hands slid up her back and unclipped her bra. It fell along her arms, exposing her skin.

Her breast with pink nipples jiggled, it hypnotised him. Before she could catch her breath, he grabbed them.

They really were soft, round and heavy in his hands. His blush deepened. Maybe he shouldn't stare like that... So, instead, he kissed them, licked them, sucked on her nipples and got back, looking at his saliva moisting up her red skin.

His member twitched, seeking for attention. So, Hinata took care of it. She moved on top of him and his jaw clenched. It was painfully good.

But not as good as when her fingers caressed his dick. The air in his lungs disappeared, pleasure exploded in his brain. He had no idea it would feel so good to be touched like that by her.

He let a grunt pass his lips but she swallowed it when her mouth found his. Their tongue danced as his hands fell on her panties. He played with the elastic, his thumb caressing the meat of her hip. She was so soft under his finger tips.

He understood her need of release when she gently bit his under lip. As a signal, he went under her panties and met her arousal. She was so wet. It boosted his pride. Because he was the first one to touch her so intimately. And he planed to be the only one at that.

His fingers traced her lower lips with care. She had to let go of his mouth to make the most sexy noise he ever heard.

"Menma-kun!"

Lust and love laced his name, turning him greedy. He pressed, scissored and turned a bit. She cried again.

He didn't know how he made his brain function again. Maybe it was just pure instinct, or maybe it was his heart making him move. In any case, he reacted to her call for love. In a rapid and smooth movement, he was on top of her, her panties on the floor.

Their bodies crashed onto each other. Teeth left hickeys. Tongues licked sweaty skin. Hands squeezed butts. Nails pierced muscles. Breath mixed. Spines ached. Electricity crawled through their veins. Gazes locked.

His hardened member rubbing against her dripping core tensed each and every muscle of his body. Her moans poured in his ears as she caressed his inner thigh.

"Menma-kun, I want you."

The need in her voice melt his brain for good. He was a mess.

Away to take a condom, he took a few breaths to calm himself. Then, he grabbed her hips, covering the tip of his sex with her juices, before looking at her. The emotions and nuances of colors in her pupil-less eyes he saw messed with his heart.

"Hinata, I love you." It came out so naturally. He hoped she understood. "I love you so so much, it's damn scary..."

She cupped his face and forced him to lay on her, kissing him until he saw stars.

"No need to be scared Menma-kun, I'm all yours" She said as she got his erection closer to her womanhood and he drove forward, feeling so light and so in love.

\- - -

"Well... I'm nineteen and all, so I figured it's about time I moved out, dattebayo" He shyly said as his fingers caressed her shoulder.

They were cuddling and he was the happiest man alive right now. She was so beautiful with her smile and content eyes against the side of his body.

"I-I mean, I haven't used it yet, but I got all the stuff out of the boxes yesterday - b-but if you don't like it, I could move it again! Don't worry, it's fairly easy, dattebayo!"

He suddenly felt her petite hand on his torso move. She left his arm she was using as a pillow and sat. He had the intention to sit too but he stayed on his elbows, starstruck by the view before him.

Her long hair fell on her breasts and she pressed his blanket a bit more against her chest. Still, he could see the purplish love bites on her porcelain skin. The light of the morning was shining through the window, caressing the shape of her naked, curvy body.

She was so beautiful.

She looked at him in the eye and he stopped breathing.

"Wait... Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Hinata asked.

"I-I dunno, alright?! What I'm trying to say is-" Menma tried to hide his nervousness behind a tough exterior "That fat lady told me this apartment is good for two, and I thought it's a loss if I'm the only one who'd use it if so! Damn, I haven't thought this through, huh? I'm paying for two when I'm only one, dattebayo! B-But if you come live here with me, it would be a steal, huh?"

He nervously shifted his weight from one elbow to another, making the sheet under his elbows shuffle as he carefully looked back at her wide and shocked eyes.

A glowing butterfly passed between them, making her snap back to reality.

"W-..." She muttered "What did you say?"

"Are you deaf?!" Menma asked, fuming, "I said it would be a steal! Weren't you listening?!"

"I meant before that, jackass!" Hinata hissed as she was now standing up. Menma froze, trying to remember what he said.

Menma felt his heart stop, this was the moment he's rehearsed for... This was it! Then his heart started beating a ridiculous pace. "I... I-I..." Menma didn't know what to say.  
Mental block.

Deciding to finally just get it done, the blonde bravely looked back to her and said "Move in with me"

Suddenly, everything turned ten times colder. He rubbed his arms, trying to warm up, and he noticed he was wearing clothes. So was Hinata. "W-What?"

He moved backwards a bit. 

"Do you actually think I'd throw away my life of luxury so that I could waste my time playing with a selfish man such as you?"

Her eyes, no, they didn't glare. They were simply looking blankly at him, no emotions at all. Icy.

The same way he always forced himself to look at her back then.

"You always made me think that you hated me" Her pearly orbs squinted in disgust and utter hatred, "And now, I hate you, too"

The heels of her boots clicked as she sharply turned and walked away, her hair swaying along to her movements.

She just kept walking.

Menma opened his mouth to yell her name, but no voice left him. In horror, he tried to run after her, grab her wrist and ask her if she was lying, but he was chained down to the ground by chains that came out of his back and down to the ground.

He could only scream out silence as he pulled on the chains trying to get to her, nothing but the sound of her footsteps and the rattling of his chains echoed throughout the small clearing.

He froze in his spot as he felt a looming presence beside him, as if a dark figure was beside him, grinning maniacally as it leaned down to his ear, whispering in a haunting way...

_"She changed her mind the time you made up yours"_

And as if on que, Toneri appeared beside Hinata, holding her feminine hand in his grubby one, walking into the distance with her.

Menma's pupils dilated.

No...

No

NO!

**NO!!!**

**"HINATA!!!!!!!"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____  
> Plot twist!!! It was all in Menma's head all along!! Mwahahaha! Did you know that from the start? Or did Author A and I take you by surprise?!
> 
> Anyway! It's time for me to rest again haha I caught slight fever, so I can't really be online for that long so that I could rest up.
> 
> (Oop- Man oh man! I've been napping every hour! I almost missed! Haha)
> 
> See'ya guys next update!
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


	25. It Hurts... So Bad

The feeling of her body under his hands was undescribable. The feeling of her warm and wet walls squeezing his dick, creating friction on his groin was mind blowing.

"Ugh… tight… Hinata..."

  
The way she rode him. Up and down. Her breasts following the movement, filling the gap between his fingers when he cupped them from time to time. The way her wide hips met his with passion.

It was so erotic.

"S-So sexy..." his throat was drier than ever. He drank on her lips.

"S-So soft..." Her scent intoxicated him.

She never let go of his gaze, looking at him through her thick eyelashes. Making him fall for her all over again.

"Love you... so fucking much!"

Tension escalating as her fingers gripped on his tights, back and arms muscles, pleasure made him frown. His high flexed his abs. Thinking about nothing but her under him, her connected to him in the most intimate and primal way.

"...you feel so, so good!..."

How her breathless moans were music to his ears. How her sexy lips were apart as he was making love to her again and again.

"M-Menma-kun! Menma-kun! Menma-kun!" 

But suddenly, he didn’t feel her next to him anymore.

  
She was walking far away from him. He only saw her back. Exactly what he feared.

She was leaving him. And he couldn’t run after her. He was pinned on the ground with nothing but emptiness in his heart.

He needed her.

"Hinata."

It hurts...

"Hinata!"

It hurts so much!

"Hinata!!!"

Sai suddenly choked on his drink and coughed non-stop as Menma suddenly shot up in cold sweat. He was trembling and there was so much noise around him. It was hard to focus on what was really going on.

One thing was sure, the pain in his heart was still here. He felt it as if a hand was crushing it with all its strength.

"I-I wasn't listening in or anything, promise!" The poor surname-less boy obviously lied as he stiffened up with a red face.

"Oh, hey, Menma! You done with your wet dream?!" Shikamaru asked as he skipped towards his blonde friend, "You could've at least kept it down! You were like, 'Hinata' 'Oh Hinata', and a few more embarrassing lines. You're lucky Neji's out"

Wet dream? His hand rubbed his forehead. So everything he saw was actually a dream? But it wasn’t a relief to know that because…

For a second he thought he heard his heart crack. It hurt so bad. _"That's right..."_ Menma thought _"Hinata really did leave me..."_

With a heavy sigh, the Namikaze harshly laid back down and turned his back on his stupid friends.

Knees up to his chest, he tried to heal his vulnerable heart, _"I don't know which one I prefer more, though... The groundbreaking reality or the made-up nightmare... Either way..."_

He closed his eyes and now, he was sure he was feeling the tiny pieces of his broken heart get crushed even more.

His throat tightened and he blinked away a few tears. Fuck, it really hurts, _"Hinata chose Toneri over me and rejected me with all the hatred she has"_

"Hey, um-" Sai pointed out "Just so you know, the first moans were alright, but I don't think girls would like it if you scream their name as if you're stuck in a nightmare if things are getting wild"

"Whaaaat?" Shikamaru laughed "I thought it was funny!"

His friends were tactless. It made him sick. But he deserved it though...

\- - - - -

_"It makes me sick. It makes me sick. It makes me sick"_ Hinata repeated in her head as if it was a safety mantra. Her jaw clenched tight as she glared at the structure before her. _"It. Makes. Me. Sick."_

It was roped down and tiny pieces looked to have fallen off from age. The size was as daunting as it's power. This was it, _"The Tenseigan"_

"So... What is it?" She asked, pretending not to know.

Toneri suddenly perked up.

He jumped in front of it with his hands on his waist, his eyes closed proudly as he threw both of it up, emphasizing the weapon, "This, my love, is the 'Ultimate Tenseigan X-3000'!!!"

With emphasized gestures, he continued to describe it as the elder Marionette bounced in her place while clapping her hands, "It's the greatest treasure to have ever lived!!! Not only is it a way to partially immortalize the great Otsutsuki clan, but it also has the power strong enough to move the moon itself!!! Isn't it amazing?!?! Uh- I mean... A-Are you impressed?"

The Otsutsuki nervously looked at his courted woman. She sighed - his voice was just too damn sweet for her - and then feigned amazement, "Oh, wow, Toneri! I never knew my fiancé was sooo powerful! I can't believe you showed me your greatest treasure, I'm sooooo falling in lo-"

"Bwahaha! What?! Don't be silly" The marionette laughed as she slapped her shoulder "That thing is just a fake-o that we lower ranks pray to! Only Tone-bō can see it, and also you once you two ~tied the knot~~"

"You could've at least let her continue" Toneri sulked.

Hinata huffed, _"Damn... Where is it then?!"_

"I've got no time for fakes" She hissed "Take me back, will'ya? I've got a scarf that I'd like to finish before this all-dusk place turns to ice"

"R-Right!" The Otsutsuki said as he jogged out, preparing the floating stage.

Hinata grumpily stepped on it, crossing her arms.

She felt a hard wooden hand place on her shoulder, "Don't be too sad, Hina-tan~ You'll be married in no time, and you'll see it soon!"

What the…? "Hands off, creepy hag" The Hyūga hissed "And quit giving me baby names"

"Sorry about that, elder marionettes like her likes to think of themselves as nannies." Toneri nervously chuckled, as if an embarrassed boy to his wish-girlfriend when meeting the embarrassing mom.

Oh Kami!

Hinata tisked looking away from her unwanted companions, "Hamura, I take it back. You're the worst. When I die, I'll moon you, and I'll moon you ba- Wait..."

Something suddenly clicked.

Activating her Byakūgan, Hinata saw the giant crescent with a tiny full moon in the opening, the Otsutsuki branch insignia.

And as suspected.

_"Bitch, please"_ She smirked _"At least try to be discreet about where it is"_

Confident of what she now knows, she formed her master plan.

_"I take back mooning you, old man"_ Hinata thought _"Thanks for being stupid enough to think that no one would be suspicious of the one and only place blocked off from the Byakūgan"_

\- - - - -

"Oh come ooooon!!!" Shikamaru whined as he kept poking Menma's back "Your girlfriend's in the sun, and you're stuck here grounded to the moon! Do something, will'ya?!"

"Shut up…"

_"Menma-kun!"_

He had to remind himself that it was a dream.

_"I'm yours"_

She never said these things to him because he was dense and horrible and he felt like a piece of shit.

But he still held on to the memory... It was making him suffer!

  
"She didn't want to be my girlfriend" Menma sulked.

The Nara suddenly had the face somewhat similar to the pikachu face. "Oh"

To say that the blonde wanted to be alone and rot in this place was an understatement. So when he heard his stupid friend finally stand up and slowly walk away, he was glad.

But then he heard the man muttering, "Geeze, fine fine. To think a shinobi like him made it this far, heartbreak? Good bye love of my life, I ain't fightin' for 'ya, peace! Good bye Hokage title, too sad to be that, bois! Hahhh, the world these days..."

Before he knew it, Shikamaru was punched down to the ground, the collar of his vest tightly in Menma's fists as he slammed him down to the ground with pure rage in his eyes, "Say that to my face, fucker! Not everything's a joke, so quit treatin' this fuck up shit-tard world as if it is!!!"

  
He didn’t take Hinata’s feelings seriously and now she was with Toneri! She wasn’t with him! He was all alone and angry.

He raised another fist to beat up the guy senseless, but suddenly, "Menma!"

A stern voice echoed through the cave. The voice of the brother of the girl he loved... Her brother saw him try to beat up an innocent friend.

His blood suddenly running cold, Menma shoved Shikamaru away and stood on his feet, facing Neji with his head down, "I-"

"Come with me" Neji said, the blonde not having to look up to know and feel his cold Byakūgan eyes glaring at him as the Nara crawled away in fear.

Wordlessly, Menma only nodded and followed the leader, not asking another question why.

That's Hinata's brother. No way did he want to go any further into his bad side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Menma woke up. It was a dream. It wasn't reality. But it seems reality is harsher. He snapped and Neji saw!
> 
> Hinata started to doubt herself, but she found what she was looking for. What's going to happen for her now? Well, let me say that darkness is coming and it won't make her any good.
> 
> Are you sure you know what's going to happen next?
> 
> Because everything's going down.
> 
> -ChloeLaPomme


	26. But I Won't Let Go

"She used up most of her chakra, and did it for days, just to save you"

There he was, standing at one of the entrance of another tunnel of a cave, looking at a dimly lit woman that laid motionlessly at the end.

Neji motioned the blonde to go to the lonely pinkette. Menma simply obliged. The Namikaze sat behind the Haruno as she faced the wall.

What was he supposed to do?

Was she dead?

Suddenly, she sobbed.

"I-It hurts... It really does..."

Menma's eye twitched, "You shouldn't have overworked yourself, then. I didn't ask you to save me, I wanted to die anyway"

"Don't you get it?!" Sakura asked as she laid on her back and glared into his eyes with her teary ones, "I was treated like the village's hero! I threw it away just so I could pursue you! I ruined my own reputation! I worked hard! I never gave up! I let my grades fall dead last just so I could team up with the top one of the class! All for you, Menma-kun!!!"

"I don't love you, I made that clear"

Was that her goal? To make him pity her?   
Her tears started to fall freely as she looked away, "You always say that... Always! Even to her! What's so different?!"

Silence...

"... I did nothing but admire you... Love you..." The pinkette croaked "... Wasn't that enough? Did I never reach you? How were we different? W-What was it that she did that I didn't?"

That's it. That admiration he never asked for. Sakura became someone she wasn't just to be with him. Hinata... Hinata never did that. She was herself. That's why it was easier to be himself with her.

**_~_ **

_"Now"_

"Aren't you going to bed?" Hinata groaned "You've been hurting with your eyes for a while now"

"W-What? No, I haven't!" Toneri lied, the sweat betraying his lie, "Besides... I don't ever want to leave your side... No matter how much it hurts..."

"Fine" The Hyūga groaned "At least get me some fresh apple juice"

"A-Apple?" The Otsutsuki nervously asked.   
The woman had to force herself to stop the smirk, "Yeah, don't have apples?"

"W-We do! Of course! I'll have a marione-"   
"And here I thought I'd get one handmade by my," Hinata said with a hidden smirk "Fiancé"

And right on que, Toneri jumped to his feet and yelled "I shall do it for my beloved!"

He quickly jogged out, but Hinata yelled "Quit running! I have really sensitive ears, I don't like the sound of running!"

"R-Right!" He said as he speed walked instead.

And once he was gone, Hinata nodded to herself, _"Surprise, mother fucker, I'm a backstabber"_

**_~_ **

"No one ever lived up to how great Hinata is..." Menma didn't know why, but he was upset. Someone was trying to even be as flawlessly amazing as his beloved, "Unlike anyone else, yes, she admired me, and she didn't try to hide that... But she wasn't shallow. She didn't change for me!"

Remembering all the times she saved him from himself...

"She was never afraid when it came to me! She was always honest and told me my faults!"

If he talked with his heart, maybe he could-

"She knows how to talk me to my senses, and she knows how to break me down... Hinata- She... She was real... From the very start..."

If he talked with his heart, maybe he could-

"I love her... I love her so damn much! But I never wanted her to make do with me if she deserved pure perfection... And I somehow chased her away because of that"

If he talked with his heart, maybe she would-

But...

"... She hates me now... She's chosen someone else..."

The memory of his dream was still very fresh in his head. His hands itched to touch her but then, he recalled the way she walked away from him. It dug a hole in his chest.

No... He could never reach her... Not after pushing her away so many times.

Menma always was all brains. Everything was thought out. Everything was planned.

But-

When it came to Hinata, his heart suddenly awakens, and everything pours out.

He told her that she was special and much more important.

He told her he was afraid to fight her.

He told her to run away.

He told her she's the reason he kept fighting.

He told her...

He told her...

He told her...

He told her he loves her.

He told her everything.

Even the lie that he doesn't like her. Just because he always runs away. Just because he was afraid he wasn't enough.

"And to think you were flawless..."

Sakura's voice suddenly cut off his train of thoughts.

"... Do you really think a girl could just say 'I hate you' after loving a guy for most of her life?" She asked, still weak, broken, and fragile. It hurt her to say this because, she knew it too well herself "Y-You told me she was real... A girl's love... If it's real, it can never change..."

"... What are you saying?" Menma asked, not wanting to make up hope when all he did was misunderstand a hopeless lover.

"What I'm trying to say is..." Sakura turned to look at him with a gentle smile and said "Hinata's the biggest liar on this planet... I think she still loves you, she never stopped... I mean... She's here to save her sister, why would she ruin her life in the process?"

**_~_ **

_"It's bigger than I remember..."_

Right before her eyes, the real Tenseigan stood with all its glory.

It was glowing golden, indicating it was activated.

To think, this beautiful monstrosity before her was the very thing that killed an entire lineage just because it fell to the wrong hands.

 _"Fuck you, retard"_ Hinata thought as she dropped to her fighting stance, _"I'm gonna destroy you"_

Prepared to destroy in a single blow, she nodded.

She suddenly took a step to the side, dodging a puppet that flew her way, letting it die terribly as it touched the orb.

Turning on her heel, she hissed as three came at her all at once, loud laughter coming from their hollow faces.

Too much for keeping quiet.

Hinata kicked and palmed the puppets with ease and grace that betrayed her tough personality.

Graceful? Yes. Brutal? Absolutely.

She didn't settle just letting it die, no, she destroyed the puppets into pieces with every strike, releasing all of her recent frustrations on the puppets.

She grabbed the head of the last remaining puppet and ripped it off.

Suddenly- she couldn't control herself.   
Her hands dropped the head as she suddenly floated off her feet.

She flew in great speed, then stopping in front of the man she hated the most.

Toneri's eyes were wide in sadness as he looked af her with a shocked and broken expression, "I-I don't understand... W-Why?"

Hinata's shocked look twisted into a scowl as orbs formed around her hands, keeping her in place as she dangled from her arms, "You've been a puppet just like everyone else you've been with in this fuckin' castle, Toneri! You're still as blind as the time you had no eyes!"

Tears starts to fall from Toneri's eyes as he watched the one he thought he could trust most spit lies into his face while struggling to escape him.

"Everyone's been lying to you! Your father and everyone else before him! Hamura loved the Earth as much as Hagoromo did! They both would do anything for the humans! Hamura never made a Celestial Decree to destroy his brother's planet!"

Lies.

Lies!

**LIES!!!**

Hinata continued to scream and squirm as he walked to the knitting room wordlessly, as if he was a ghost walking down the halls.

His eyes looked as dead as he feels.

Hinata kept explaining, and explaining, and explaining. But all he could hear was the white noise in his head that blocked out everything she said.

All he could see was red. All he could hear was noise. And all he can think of is...

_"No!"_

His eyes locked dead on to the red scarf that was neatly folded on the table. It matched the rest of his enraged vision, yet it stood out the most.

"You have to listen and hear out the truth, Toneri!"

"NO!!!"

He was enraged. He was sad. He was broken! But-

He gasped in realization, his hand deep in her chest, placing his jutsu directly in her.

He toppled backwards in shock, "I-I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to! I-I-I-!"

Toneri tried to steady himself by grabbing onto the table, but it flipped over, it's contents falling on him, the scarf blocking half of his vision.

On one half, pure red. On the other, Hinata hanging like a rag doll, consciousness barely there in her dead eyes.

What has he done?

He didn't mean to!

His eyes started to glow, destroying the red silk that covered his vision, raining the pieces across the room.

It was horrific to him.

It was traumatic to her.

**_~_ **

Glaring dead into the artificial sun in the sky, Menma snarled.

 _"I don't know what's happening up there, but..."_ He thought as he reached a hand out, as if to grab the sun, _"I'll make sure to make that bastard suffer for whatever bad he did to you, dattebayo!"_

Clenching his fist to the sun, his glare turned deadly, _"Hinata, I swear, as a man, I will save you, no matter the cost!"_

Beside him, Neji stepped in and stood like a soldier, looking up to where the blonde stared.

Sai stood beside Menma, too. Opening a scroll, ready to draw up their ride.

Beside Neji, Shikamaru, all patched up, smirked as he confidently looked up.

And beside Sai, Sakura held a blank stare as one of her hands grabbed her other arm, the Byakugo still not present on her forehead.   
In the middle, Menma brought his fist down to his chest.

"Hinata!" He said to the sun "I'm coming!"

He felt a hand grab his shoulder, followed by another, and another, and another. He looked at his friends, giving him a nod, which he returned.

"Let's go!"

"Right!"

**_~_ **

_"Menma-kun..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Heyhey! Author 1 here!
> 
> A chapter of heartbreaks and promises... Would things work out?
> 
> Haha, sorry, short A/N. Late, too? Only for a couple of..... days. Reason? Online classes.
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


	27. Puppet of His Own Fate

"Ack- GAAAH!!!"

  
An elder marionette paced around the hall, in front of its master's door, with its finger stuck between its teeth, worrying as multiple crashes echoed in the room.

It had been only a couple of hours since Hinata's betrayal, and it didn't seem to sit well with their master, not at all.

The stress and anger Toneri had been feeling spiked up his chakra, making the process of his Tenseigan's maturing speed increase.

"Ahaha... Ahahaha!!! At this rate, I will have the Tenseigan fully matured by tonight!!" He said in between laughs, sharply turning towards Hinata, hung like a decor in a cushioned frame, "You hear that, Hina?! We can get married tomorrow! Ahahaha!!! First thing in the morning, my love!"

One of his shaky hands placed itself on his right eye and the other went on top of his quickly beating heart, "I feel so excited... You, too, right?! You feel excited! You feel excited!! Ahahaha!!!"

"Ano... Toner-"

"WHAT?!" Toneri snapped at the marionette that peaked through the door, "Can't you see we're busy?!"

"I'm sorry, but-" The elder marionette said in a quivering voice "You told us to report in as soon as the wedding garbs are finished, so I-"

"Shut up and leave already!!!" The Otsutsuki screamed, sending a powerful wave towards the marionette, making it crash out and break, the door slamming closed with it.

The whole room shook at the power of the Jutsu, and Toneri was furiously and heavily breathing, his eyes glowing a brighter blue as he heard screaming of other marionettes surrounding the now dead one in the hall.

He heard sounds of ripping from behind him. So he turned and, to his horror, he saw Hinata starting to limply lean forward due to the vibrations of the room, tearing the fabric holding her up.

The Hyūga fell, but the Otsutsuki quickly reacted and caught her thigthy, leaving marks on her exposed skin.

She was so limp in his arms, cold from the temperature from outside, and unresponsive to anything, yet she was alive. But he hurt her, _"I hurt her so bad!"_

Toneri hissed, remembering that this was her doing. If she weren't obsessed with that fucking Menma, she wouldn't be like that. He looked at her, caressed her cheek.

Well, he quite liked her like that. For a second, a burning want to touch her, to feel her more, overtook him. He eyed her sexy clothes. His fingers brushed the collar of her top.   
But he retracted them.

What was he doing?! He grunt, a headache banging against his forehead.

That's right. It wasn't a good thing to take advantage of her.

He shouldn't be imaptient. She was all his. So when it'll be the right time, he'll be able to express his desire for her. And she won't leave him!

Menma _lost_.

Toneri _won_.

And it was supposed to be like that since the beginning. Toneri and Hinata. Not Hinata and some random guy! It was supposed to be over by now but it was his doing. They told him to do this. He wanted this.

"Tsk..."

All of this... It wasn't his fault! Yeah! Not Toneri! It was _him_! Everything! _He_ made him do this!

"FUCK YOU, HAMURA!!!!"

**_~ ~ ~_ **

_"Papa!"_

_A child ran across the room and jumped onto an older man, wrapping his arms around his neck while laughing, "I got'cha, papa! I got'cha!"_

_"Ahaha! Toneri-kun, my boy!" The man laughed, "You surprised me, champ!"_

_"I did! I did!" Toneri cheered enthusiastically, "I surprised papa!!"_

_His father grabbed him by the back of his shirt and lifted him up to in front of him with a playful smirk, "How'd you find papa, huh? Did the marionettes help you?"_

_"No, papa! I used that super duper special technique you_ _tought_ _me!" The young boy cheered proudly, "I gathered my chakra to my forehead so I could see!"_

_"Ah, Toneri..." The man said in a scolding tone, "What did I tell you about using that here? Hamura gifted us with that beautiful technique! Do you think he'd be happy if you just use it to play?"_

_"Mahhh" The boy whined "I think it's a stinky rule! Stinky!"_

_His father laughed loudly and said "I used to think the same way, my boy. But one day, you'll understand why"_

_He could feel his son pouting on the floor, so he sighed and blindly patted his head with silvery white hair, flinching a bit since he intended to pat the shoulder, "You know what? I wanna show you something I found a few days ago"_

_"Really?! Oh boy! Oh boy! What is it, dad?!" Toneri asked, bouncing around his father excitedly, so the older man laughed and made him calm down by saying "Let's go now! I don't want you using the seeing technique until I tell you so, alright? No looking"_

_"Okay!!"_

_**\- - -** _

_Toneri knew the path their giant bird was taking them, especially when he heard the guardian crab just bellow them._

_His father laughed when he greeted the crab._   
_They passed the portals with no hitch, and it took barely an hour for then to arrive with the high speed they were travelling._

_He felt the cloaking technique cover them as they landed on a roof, and he was almost certain where they were. When he heard lively laughter, singing, clapping, and chattering, from the large room bellow them, Toneri knew he was right._

_"We're at the Hyūga!" Toneri cheered excitedly, making his father laugh and agree._

_"Come here, Toneri, I wanna show you someone"_

_He tapped Toneri's forehead, telling him that he's allowed to see._

_They peaked at a window, seeing the rowdy clan gathered in one big room, having a wild party while watching a traditional match in the middle. Roughhousing, drinking, laughters, and chatters, the Hyūga never failed to be lively._

_Toneri saw a woman, happily and loudly chatting with a group of women as she sat on a chair high enough for everyone to see, and he realized why they were celebrating._

_"Dad! The lady up there is having a baby!" He cheered excitedly._

_His father nodded and said "That's the clan head's wife with her new born baby. Oh! But look! There she is!"_

_His father pointed at a girl snatching a big bread of cinnamon bun, poorly hiding it behind her back. She had an annoyed look on her face, clearly bother by the_ _noices_ _and the animation. But it broke in a cheeky grin as she slowly made her way to sneak out._

_The two followed the girl as she squealed happily, skipping to the clan's garden with her stolen prize._

_Toneri was intrigued. Something about her feels... Special._

_Wasn't she afraid to be alone?_

_The little girl made a final turn before effortlessly walking up a tree and sitting on a tree branch, swinging her legs happily as she snacked._

_"She's really cute" Toneri said, in awe of the young girl a few feet away from them._

_His father nodded and said "She is... She's the one, Toneri"_

_"The... One?"_

_" Yes" He nodded, "She's very talented and strong for her age, and she has a very strong sense of leadership. Plus! She's cute~"_

_"W-What?!" Toneri sputtered, turning red, "Y-You mean she's-?!"_

_"Yes! You're future wife, my son!" His father cheered happily "She'll make a great queen to rule over the new world, Toneri. She can make you happy. It's gonna be beautiful..."_

_"My future wife, huh?" Toneri muttered as he blushed, admiring the little girl up the tree._

_Him, who used to have nothing, felt something warm bloom in his chest. It was a strange feeling, as if one of his_ _pupets_ _had taken one of his toys again._

_He didn't like to share. What was his, was his. And his father said this girl was going to be his wife. She was linked to him forever. She won't ever leave him. He won't be alone anymore._

_Oh boy, he couldn't wait!_

_"A-Are we taking her now?"_

_"When the time comes, my son" His father said as he patted his shoulder, "You'll come for her. And you two will fulfill_ _Hamura's_ _wish and save this world. You and Hinata"_

_Toneri couldn't help but be thankful of Hamura. Because of him, he wouldn't have met this extraordinary girl, so intriguing._

_"Hinata..."_

**_~ ~ ~_ **

"IF IT WASN'T FOR HAMURA, YOU WOULDN'T BE LIKE THIS, HINATA!" Toneri screamed.

He suddenly flinched. He cooed at the body in his arms and said "Ah, darling, everything will be over soon, okay? Ahaha, it's okay"

He carefully sat her on his chair. Seeing his marks – not Menma's - on her sent wave of pleasure down his spine, "You're as beautiful as the day I first saw you, ahahahaha... We're gonna get married! Ahaha!!"

He grabbed Hinata's limp hands and brought it to his chest then to his lips. He smelled her scent. So strong, so sweet, so her. His eyes rolled back with pure and burning desire.

  
"We're getting married tomorrow morning and we'll live happily until we kill everyone on that failure planet!" Toneri's eye suddenly twitched, "WE COULD'VE LIVED TOGETHER NORMALLY IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT FUCKING DECREE!"

The marionettes silently listened to their master quickly switching from anger to joy, to sadness, to excitement.

Their master was not stable. Toneri was spiralling into insanity.

And they have no choice but to obey.   
Because now? This castle was now only filled with puppets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Well, what did I tell you guys when I last spoke in the Author's note section? 
> 
> Toneri is losing it!
> 
> Loneliness and darkness are eating his brain. Look at what he's doing to Hinata.
> 
> And to think that it's just the beginning of the problem!
> 
> What will happen when Menma finds out about it? 
> 
> The next chapters are going to be wild
> 
> -ChloeLaPomme


	28. Will of Fire

**_"'YA_ ** _**WANNA LIVE,** _ _**DON'T'CHA** _ _**?!"** _

  
Deep beneath the ground, majority of the inhabitants of the Land of Fire sought safety in the bomb shelter.

"Iruka-sensei! We don't wanna die!" "Scary! Scary!" "Senseiiii!!!!"

It was a teacher's worst nightmare to see his students cry in fear whilst he can not do anything.

Though usually laid back Iruka was, and uncaring as his lazy self could mistakenly be, he did his best to gather the children in one spot, him in the middle, patting their heads and hugging a few, it was the best he could do.

"There, there..." He said as he looked down at the little people, yet to grow, with a very sympathetic smile, tears growing at the corner of his eyes, "Don't worry... Don't worry one bit. Strong ninjas are out right now to keep all of you guys safe!"

Weak as he was compared to the others, Iruka has a very strong and unwavering will. He never doubted anyone. And a good fraction of the Konoha ninjas that are outside right now were his students! He believes in his students!

"They'll save us, no doubt!" He said with nothing but confidence "Take my word for it!"

The children looked up at him with wide and teary eyes, sniffling noses, and puffed out cheeks. No way was he gonna let these children continue sobbing.

"Yo-You mean strong ninjas like M-Menma-senpai?" Asked a young aspiring kunoichi.

"I'm sure Menma-senpai's gonna save us all!!"

"He's the bestest!"

A few children started to cheer up and talked about their star while others were still crying quietly.

Then, a small yet very fast slug zoomed past their feet, checking for any injuries or wounds before speeding off to another group.

"See?" Iruka chuckled to the group of children still afraid, "Even Tsunade-sama busted out Lady Katsuyu! We're in safe hands"

  
_**"THEN LISTEN UP! BASTARDS CALLED** _ _**METEORITES'RE** _ _**FALLIN** _ _**'!** _ _**WAITIN** _ _**' TO DESTROY OUR HOME!"** _

  
The sky was painted black and red, the light of the occasional passing meteorites over-powering those sported lamps by the Rescue Team.

"... Kiba..."

Shino looked at his friend who was usually up and going, overflowing with energy, sat in a gloomy fashion beside his usually hated companion, their vests that had 'Rescue Team' written on the back haphazardly thrown to the pavement.

"... You've finally come to see eye to eye with Akamaru?" He asked as he squatted down beside the dull brunette "I guess you weren't joking when you said you two won't get along until the end of the world..."

The sound of a meteorite tearing through the atmosphere made everything silent compared to it for a while.

As the light died away, Kiba's regret filled eyes finally looked up, not meeting gazes with anyone as he choked out "I didn't want to go out this way... I DON'T WANNA DIE!"

Of course.

But...

"... Hey, Kiba"

A kikaichu came to Shino before it told him of a presence in a nearby shop. Normally, he would be repelled, but today? He has to work with them to keep everyone safe.

Shino pointed at the ramen shop Menma oh so loves before dragging Kiba and Akamaru along with him, "Come on. We gotta help"

No doubt Menma would be devasted if the restaurant were to crash under the attacks.  
As they entered the shop, they saw old man Teuchi, comfortably drinking away on a chair without a care in the world.

"Rescue Te-"

"Rescue shmecue" Teuchi groaned as he waved them off "It's the end of the world! Just let me slack off for once in my life, will'ya?!"

The Aburame couldn't help but feel disappointed. Why were they like this?!

"Hey" The usually rough and brash Kiba softly said as he reached out a hand "Give some? We're dyin' anywa-"

"Do you really think it's all gonna end here? That's stupid... Even for you, Kiba"

The Inuzuka's ears twitched at the sharp words thrown to him. Shino snapped.

"It's not over yet!" Shino hissed "Tomorrow's a big day and everyone's gonna be hungry, especially Menma, Hinata and the other shinobi, after saving the world! Look at this shop! Sake reeks and bottles all over! How do you expect customers to come in, huh?!"

"What are you-"

"Get both of your sorry asses up, we're cleaning this place!" The Aburame announced "Tomorrow is coming! Have a little hope! My bugs are still here, and bugs scatter and hide for shelter if it's the end of the world, dammit!"

  
_**"MAN UP AND** _ _**DESTROY'EM** _ _**ONCE THEY'RE IN REACH!"** _

  
It wasn't a smart to run straight into a burning house the Firefighting Team is yet to work on, but Choji didn't give a damn nor a shit of a second thought when he saw Kurenai recklessly rush in to her burning home whilst screaming her late husband's name.

"Kurenai!!! Mirai!!!"

Choji coughed hard as he tried to look through the thick smoke, searching for the brash Jònin and her clingy, spoiled child.

He heard the sound of familiar crying behind a door, and with no second thought, he kicked open the door and found Kurenai embracing Mirai as to protect her from the flames, a picture of an ecstatic grinning man in the toddler's arms.

The beautiful woman looked at Choji in relief, only to turn into horror as she looked up, hearing the roof of her apartment start to squeek and give out.

"Shit!" Kurenai growled before holding out Mirai "Take her! My fuckin' leg is broken! Save her!"

And in a blink of an eye. The ceiling gave out. Debris falling.

But instead of taking Mirai. Saving her. Letting himself survive... Choji quickly expanded over the injured mother and crying daughter, shielding them with his own back, burning alive.

"ARE YA STUPID?!" Kurenai cried.

"I won't let you die! People like your daughter, Hinata and your old team still need you!"

Now there they were, stuck under a burning rubble... Choji could barely process anything as he felt his back get burnt...

... But the picture of Asuma smiling up happily seemingly at him from the picture... He knew he shouldn't give up!

_"Asuma! I'll protect them!!!"_

And with a rush of adrenaline, Choji took the two females in his arms and rolled through the wall with them, causing the entire apartment to fall down and him to land out harshly.

A Medical Team quickly took Kurenai to a stretcher who was screaming like a barbarian to get her daughter checked first as a member of the Firefighting Team quickly extinguished the raging fire on Choji's back.

And seeing how much Kurenai would scream for her daughter's health, Choji thought... _"I know I'm not as clever as Menma and Hinata... But I won't let anything end so easily! Even if it takes stupid actions!!!"_

  
_**"I DON'T WANT AS MUCH AS A SINGLE PEBBLE TO SURVIVE!"** _

  
Sasuke didn't know what was scarier.

The fact that the Moon itself was raining down on Earth.

The fact that he was all alone, wandering down a straight path and still continuing though he had already reached the desert, not sure if he was heading the right way.

Or the fact that he could hear creepy singing everytime no meteorite passes.

_"The things I do for love..."_ He thought as he looked around, _"I mean, seriously! How come I'm still single, huh?!"_

With a heavy sigh, he looked closed his eyes and imagined the only woman who had a place in his heart, _"But I won't give up... For Sakura!!!"_

With a determined fist bumped to his chest, Sasuke looked ahead with a determined look and screamed "MENMA! YOU BASTARD! I WON'T LET YOU STEAL ALL THE SPOTLIGHT! FOR SAKU- WAAAAAH!!! IS THAT A DEAD BODY?!?!?!?!"

Scrambling ahead, the Uchiha panicked as he knelt beside a face down body on the ground, covered in bruises and wearing tattered clothing, but the symbol on the back of his robe was not mistakable, "HOLY SHIT! IT'S HYŪGA HIASHI!!! HE'S DEAD!!!"

"I KNEW IT! I'M DEAD AND AM A WANDERING SPIRIT ALREADY!" Hiashi cried as he suddenly rolled around, further startling the panicked ravenette, "GAAAAH!!! A GHOST!!!"

"How can I save my daughters now?!?!" The 'dead' Hyūga cried, making the startled Uchiha scream "ARE THEY GHOSTS TOO?!?!"

"I DUNNO!!!"

  
_**"POLISH UP THAT RUSTED KUNAI OF** _ _**YERS** _ _**IF 'YA DON'T WANNA DIE! 'CAUSE I AIN'T** _ _**APPOINTIN** _ _**' NOBODY!"** _

  
"IT'S A BIG ONE! SIX'O CLOCK!"

"CRANE WING FORMATION!" Kakashi yelled, his voice cracking in panic as he saw how big it was, knowing he was no match for it.

"It's time... To battle against the beautiful Mother Nature!" Lee said as sparkles seemed to appear around him, he fixed the gel of his hair to make sure it looked fine before turning red with popping veins "TIME TO OPEN THE GATES!!!"

Tenten shakily watched in awe as the Suicide Corps all jumped into a perfect crescent, her hand gently patted by Ino as she whispered kind and comforting words to her shaken up friend even as she was in the transmitter.

"Oh no!!!" Tenten shrieked, jumping away from the blonde, "They only took out half!!"

The large meteorite tilted and faced the Hokage and his men, making it seem as if it was one whole again.

Kakashi froze in place in fear, but a comforting hand patted his shoulder before walking passed him, "Mi... Minato-sensei..!"

"Ah” he sighed “It's been a while since I was out on the field. I'm used to see Menma handle things now but don't worry Kakashi. I'll take it from here" Minato said as he glared up at the meteorite head on, a hand in front of him, "RASEN-FLASH SUPER-CIRCLE DANCE HO-"

"CHIDORI!!"

And with one shot, not a single dust was left, and a lone figure stood on the edge of the rooftop. Glowing red eyes staring back at them.

Minato's eyes widen as he realized who it was, "You're... Uchiha Sasuke...!"

"Oh my God! Holy shit! You guys gotta help!" Sasuke screeched as he practically flew to right in front of Kakashi while flailing his arms around frantically "I-I-I brought back a ZOMBIE!!"

"What the- WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?! WE DON'T NEED THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE THE SAME TIME AS THE MOON!" Kakashi screamed in total panic.

A soft and amused chuckle cut off the two hystericals and ruffled Sasuke's hair, "Now, now, Sasuke, I'm pretty sure that Hiashi-sama isn't a zombie"

"But, Itachi-nii-san..!" Sasuke whined before he whispered as he eyed the 'zombie', "Look at him...! He looks like a zombie..!"

"Please listen before Kami-sama takes me!" Hiashi yelled as he limped up to them with the assist of a worried looking Kushina, "My precious princesses are up on the moon!"

  
_**"'YA MADE YOURSELF A SHINOBI, SO THIS IS** _ _**YER** _ _**MESS TO CLEAN!"** _

  
"I-It's not tested yet, but... Times like these, am I right?" Skinny, one-armed A the Raikage nervously said as a super-weapon was bust out, "Ohhhh this is a bad idea..."

"Doo doo doo dooooooo~ not worryyyyyy, my big brothaaaaa~~~" Killer B sang out in a soft jazz tone "Have faith... In our inventooooooors~!!! Have faith.... In youuuuu"

"A-Alright!" A said with a semi-determined nod, "Let's hope that my space-time ray theory works out!"

The Raikage might not be the strongest, but he sure as hell is one brilliant mind.  
"No turning back now........ CHARGE UP THE CHAKRA DIFFUSION CANNON!!!" 

  
_**"THIS FIGHT IS FOR HUMANITY, GOD DAMMIT! IT'S NOW OR NEVER! SO GET**_ _ **YER**_ _ **FUCKIN' ASS UP AND FIGHT FOR WHATEVER 'YA HAVE!"**_

  
"That was easy!" Onoki, the Tsuchikage, laughed as he rolled his shoulders, his old form seemingly still fit and going, "I feel fifty years younger!"

"Tsuchikage-sama! Watch out!" Kurotsuchi screeched, pointing at a lot of meteorites coming in "I-I'm afraid that you won't be able to do that alone!"

"Fine..." Akatsuchi groaned, helping out with Earth Style walls, making Onoki laugh "You younglings better keep up, then!" 

  
_**"**_ _ **YER**_ _ **FAMILY, FRIENDS, VILLAGE, COUNTRY, AND**_ _ **YER**_ _ **FUCKIN' OWN ASS DEPENDS ON 'YA! FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE NOW! WE AIN'T**_ _ **RUNNIN**_ _ **' TO GO EXTINCT!"**_

  
"Lava Style: Lava Monster Jutsu!" Mei, the Mizukage, took out meteorites after meteorites.

She gasped as two passed her, then suddenly, huge waves of water came out from the ground, destroying those and more.

"Did that impress my beautiful Mizukage?" Chojuro asked with his usual cocky and over confident demeanor, "As expected from a member of the Seven Swordsman!"

"I hate it when guys flirt..." Mei groaned before continuing her barage of jutsus.

_**"WE**_ _ **RUNNIN**_ _ **' FOR THE FUTURE, BABY!!!"**_

  
"ARE YOU SAYING THAT MY BABY IS FIGHTING YET ANOTHER OTSUTSUKI?!?!" Kushina screamed "KAKASHI!!!!!"

"Ehehe... I guess my stomach was right then" Kakashi nervously laughed as he rubbed his stomach and Hiashi behind him sighing in relief realizing that he wasn't the one getting pointed at, all the while being healed by Tenten.

Clicking of heels distracted them, Shiho arrived and adjusted her glasses as she put a hand to her waist, holding out a picture to the Hokage, "The telescopes caught this... You might wanna see. There are four large chakra wandering on the moon. You might recognize one of them"

_"Hmm... That chakra signature looks earily like Menma's..."_ Kakashi's eyes squinted as he studied the picture... "Wait... Does that mean that... THE NINE TAILS IS ON THE MOON?!"

_**"FUCK YEAH! THAT'S THE SPIRIT, YEAH! LOVE Y'ALL!**_ _ **KAZEKAGE**_ _ **GAARA**_ _ **OUT! PEACE!"**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> And here comes Author 1!
> 
> I literally fell in love with the chapter in novelization, so I couldn't help myself but to let it make it to this book!
> 
> I really enjoyed writing this chapter, probably one of my all-time favorite chapters that I wrote!
> 
> It was really fun changing lots of the characters' personalities! And it was extremely funny to me to write them! I always feel like "Hey! OG won't say that!" and "That's definitely their opposites" hahaha
> 
> Also! The characters who are supposedly dead that are alive here retains their OG personalities, so they're basically making cameos!
> 
> It was just so fun, not gonna lie hahaha
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


	29. My Way Back to You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ____
> 
> When OrenjiRabenda sent me this chapter and her notes of what exactly she wanted, I was in tears.
> 
> I'm that girl who loves chiché rescues, chivalry acts and jealous because insecure boyfriend/girlfriend, and this chapter just feeds my appetite for NaruHina fanfiction with that kind of plot. I was fangirling so hard while writing, believe it!
> 
> Dark Toneri is also something I enjoy writing (maybe a bit too much). What a twist when you think about how he was at the beginning of the story.
> 
> Spoil: it's not getting any better for him.
> 
> I hope you loved this chapter as much as I did, and get ready for next week! :)
> 
> -ChloeLaPomme

"Alright! Buckle up, fellas!!!" Shikamaru cheered as he stood up on the high-speed bird-like blob, pulling out his rigged kunai as he grinned up at the bright yellow dome, "HERE WE GO!!"

"On my mark!" Neji yelled, a good distance away from Shikamaru's left, as they formed a solid triangle formation with the team as they got closer to the dome.

Sakura knelt on the flying blob underneath her as she flew at the very front, catching Shikamaru's rigged kunai, "Just say the word!"

"They still don't know we’re here!" Menma yelled from the back, flying adjacent to Sai, his Sage Mode on, "I can sense her minutes away! This is the fastest route, dattebayo!"

"Copy!" Neji nodded, "Fire away, Sakura!"

"SHANARO!!!" Sakura threw the rigged kunai at massive speed towards the dome miles away.

**BOOM!!!**

For a few seconds, they had no enemies before them. They all looked at each other. Neji was right when he said they weren’t on high alert.

Sai and Shikamaru seemed pleased, thinking it was easier that way. Menma wanted to agree with them, but his guts clenched. 

What if the lack of reaction meant that Toneri was powerful enough to protect the castle and himself all on his own?

And to say Hinata was alone with him, it made him tremble.

"Oi! Why’re you hiding?!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Menma! What’re you doing?!" Shikamaru asked, dumbstruck and panicked.

"It’s better to fight them outside. The citadel or the castle may be trapped and rigged" Neji said, still on his guard. Menma thought so too.

"Here they come!" He warned.

"Ohhhh...!" Sai nervously yelled, preparing a scroll, "Here we go again!!!"

A massive army of projectile shooting puppets on beast-like birds suddenly came flooding out in an opening.

"Byakūgan!" Neji watched and waited until the entire troop was out of the dome, "Now, Menma, Now!!!"

"Right!" Menma yelled, holding out his hand, "RASENSHURIKEN!!"

_**ZUUUBABABABABABA!!** _

"Alright! Nailed it!" Shikamaru cheered as he and Neji trapped the sole remaining puppet and bird duo in between them, jumping on to the bird with him and forming seals, "Shadow Paralysis Jutsu!"

Neji formed the hand seals he remembered the puppets made to open the artificial sun, both Shikamaru and the puppet mimicking his hand movements.

The artificial sun opened up as expected, Neji tisked and yelled "KEEP GOING! STORM THE CITADEL!"

Once entering Neji's 1000 meter range, he hissed and yelled "They've got military weapons! Stay on your toes!"

And as if on que, hundreds of chakra projectiles shot their way at high speeds. They clearly won’t be able to dodge them all.

"Keep you scroll ready, Sai" Menma said to the shinobi next to him. "We might need another superbeast if we get hit"

Neji drove the puppet's beast with Shikamaru's shadows, skillfully dodging projectiles after projectiles. Menma sensed the different directions of the chakra and found the safest routes. Whilst Sai, being experienced with flying his blobs, dodged almost naturally.

Sakura's eyes widened as a chakra bullet almost hit her. She tried to dodge it, but the chakra touched the left wing of her ride, ending its life in the process. Menma felt the chakra explode before she could scream. "G-GAHH!! MENMA-KUUUUN!!"

"Sai!"

Sai nodded and added chakra into his scroll, "On it! Superbeast Scroll!"

A new beast came down and caught Sakura safely.

“Thank you” she sighed, relieved.

Sai replied a cheerful "You’re welcome!"

As quiet and stubborn about his feelings as he was, Menma glanced rapidly towards her, acknowledging her thanks with a sharp nod, before looking back before him.

The team immediately took cover into the castle as soon as they reached the ground, hiding from the firing range.

Neji hissed at the clock on his palm, "We haven't got much time!"

he was still composed. He must. He had learned to be level-headed and he knew he’d been chosen to be the leader of this mission because of that.

"Move! Move!" Menma yelled, not stopping even for a second.

The group of five ran in.

_"Dammit!"_ Neji thought, _"They're at different sides of the castle!"_

"We have to split!" He announced, "Menma! You and Shikamaru head to Hinata-sama! I'll lead the rest towards Hanabi!"

The blonde looked at the brunette in shock, his sage mode now deactivated. Knowing full well Neji always chose Hinata over any other, he was caught off guard.

"What? You're not coming with me?!" He asked. 

Neji tisked and said "Hinata-sama would've wanted me to save her sister"

The Hyūga knew that the Namikaze already knew that the sisters were separated. So he nodded at him and said, "Menma, I trust you with Hinata-sama, alright?! Don't mess it up!"

Menma was flabbergasted, his heart jumping at what the brunette could've meant, _"Was that... His blessing?!"_

"I won't let you down, dattebayo!" Menma proudly claimed before nodding at Shikamaru, parting ways with Neji, Sai, and Sakura.

Adrenaline running high, emotions higher.

Menma was determined to find Hinata.

The beating of his heart felt like drums of war. The heat of his determination out powered the cold air of the dusky castle.

He isn't going to stop. Not until he finds Hinata!

Waves and waves of puppets came rushing down the hall, but Menma's sheer anger and raw strength was all it took to take down each and every one of them, no enhancements with his chakra.

Shikamaru, despite being able to joke throughout the mission, was afraid, intimidated.

He was running full speed, right behind Menma, and he didn't even have to handle at least one puppet, for the man in love right in front of him had his eyes set and was not wavering.

_"This is not the Menma I know"_ Shikamaru thought, his eyes dead set on the Namikaze clan crest on Menma's back, waving like a flag proudly from the powerful movements made by the man, _"He's much stronger!"_

H

e was starting to realise that what he thought and said to Menma earlier in the cave was maybe wrong.

They both suddenly could hear gongs ringing louder and louder the farther they ran into the castle.

The feel of a powerful chakra became more and more present. Shikamaru felt his stomach churn. He could feel thick chakra radiating from further into the castle. There was a powerful source in there, strong enough to let a non-sensory ninja like him be extra cautious. It reminded him of the war.

"Gah! Menma!" He yelped. Menma was too fast. He wasn't stopping, punching away at enemies, yet still too fast. He was determined. Shikamaru can't catch up, "Hold up!"

Menma isn't going to stop. Not until he finds Hinata!

He won't!

He won't!

He won't!

It was not even the sounds of the gongs leading him to her. He knew where she was. He could tell how to get to her. As if finding his way to her side was the only time all his senses, be it physiological, environmental, or interpretational, worked all together.

"Hinata!!" Menma yelled, called out to her once he found her.

He didn't know what made his blood boil more. The fact she was wearing a beautiful wedding garb for another man. Or the fact that she matched Toneri.

Bright, stolen, blue eyes clashed with burning, darkened, blue eyes. 

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!!" Toneri screamed, pure anger painted all over his face. He was about to engage Menma.   
To release his growing power. 

To diverge from the plan, just to satisfy his selfish needs.

To be consumed by this dark desire to kill.   
To end the blonde once and for all.

But the puppet crowd stepped in between him and Menma in an attempt to protect him. It also got rid of the deadly cloud that was interfering with his uncontrolled mind. Temporarily, at least.

He grabbed Hinata by her wrist and pushed her into the opened passage behind them, harshly enough for her to stumble.

"How dare you treat her like that!!!" Menma growled as he ran through the puppet crowd too slow to catch him to attack Toneri with a punch.

Toneri slammed the passage door behind him, keeping Menma and Hinata apart, then dodged the fist, glaring at the blonde man with a psychotic look in his eyes.

"The way I treat my wife is none of your business!!!" The Otsutsuki screamed, flailing his fists all over the place, and by the way his voice sounded, Menma was certain that this man wasn't mentally stable anymore.

"Hinata isn't and won't ever be your wife, dattebayo!!" 

Flashes of Hinata choosing Toneri over him in his dream made him feel terrible, insecurities rising as fast as he had ever felt, fears squeezing his heart, doubts clenching his guts.

He hated it. He won’t let that happen!

Yelling his fury, Menma caught his wrist and flinged him to the other side of the room.

Toneri quickly caught himself clumsily on his feet, but immediately turned with a loud growl and ran to Menma, exchanging fists, parries, and kicks, not one of them landing an attack to the other.

Menma knew he had the upper hand. He fought Toneri before- at least, a puppet version of him- and all it took was to outlast him. Toneri couldn't keep up with Menma.

And as he was seeing Toneri starting to struggle, Menma felt nothing but sick excitement. Excited to bring down. Excited to punish him for pushing Hinata like that. Excited to finally get rid of him.

But all that excitement quickly disappeared as he quickly jumped away, dodging a blade.

He glared up, finding an elder puppet standing between him and Toneri, a chakra blade in his hand.

Menma was then attacked by the swordsman. He was caught off guard. It was skilled with the blade, and it had a long reach.

His cerulean hues glared when he saw Toneri quickly run away towards the passage.

"Get back here, you fuckin' coward!!!" The blonde yelled, trying to run after him, but the swordsman quickly got in between and made it nearly impossible to run after Toneri.

The priest followed in the passage and started to close the entrance.

"Dammit!" Menma cursed, suddenly realizing that more puppets had made their way into the ritual room, surrounding him.

And just in time, "I'LL HANDLE THIS!"

The Namikaze looked in shock as Shikamaru, out of breath, flickered beside him, forming hand seals.

"Go, Menma! Don't stop!" Shikamaru yelled, the seriousness in his face saying it all.   
He wasn't playing.

As curious as Menma was on why Shikamaru was sounding so serious, he decided to take advantage of the situation instead, nodding quickly and breaking down the passage entrance as if it was nothing.

"Out of my way!!" He growled, the priest holding his arms out wide as if to be a wall itself, but all it took was a single punch to take him down, the man not even slowing down to do so.

The blonde was gone, running into the unfamiliar passage.

Shikamaru glared at every present puppet and yelled, "YOUR BEEF IS WITH ME NOW!!"

He quickly performed shadow techniques, fighting the puppets and holding them off with pure determination.

"I know now. I was definitely wrong to think that love made Menma weak!" He thought as he fought waves of puppets, _"I saw how strong he was!! He kept pushing forward! He didn't stop!"_

"I WON'T LET ANY OF YOU SLOW HIM DOWN!!!" Shikamaru yelled.

\- - -

"I saw her around here!" Neji yelled as he, Sakura, and Sai rode on a painted superbeast, leading them towards his cousin.

"Eep!"

"Wait! Stop!!" Sai yelled, halting the beasts.   
The three of them awkwardly sat on the blob-like beast of ink and chakra.

_"What is this supposed to be?"_ Neji's eyes twitched.

Before them was a group of cutely dressed little girls, all startled as they nervously looked up at the three young adults, all of them sat in a braid train in front of a gigantic door.

It was now an awkward stare down.   
Neji then snapped out of it and glared at the girls with an activated Byakūgan, "Move!"

"Byakūgan..!" The little girls gasped, all standing up and glaring up at them.

They're cute features suddenly turned horrific. They looked extremely angry and demonic as they screamed, flying towards the group to attack.

Sai groaned as he covered his ears.   
Sakura and Neji hissed.

"One after the other!" Neji commanded.   
Sakura nodded "Roger!"

"Gentle Fist!"

"SHANARO!!!"

\- - -

Menma didn't miss a beat, running on pure instinct to find Hinata.

He turned the corner and finally found the two just in time.

A chamber. He could see silhouettes of different pairs of animals inside the glowing orbs. And seeing Hinata and Toneri walking their way to a platform, he could figure what was going to happen.

"Hinata! Don't!!" Menma yelled, running to Hinata to stop her, reaching his hand out as desperation became evident in his eyes.   
Toneri growled and grabbed Hinata, pulling her to his side as he glared at Menma, "What do you want, huh?!?!"

"Fuck off!!!" Menma yelled, running to attack the white haired man.

Toneri's pupils dilated in fear and out of panic, he shoved Hinata in front of him and made her fight.

"Hinata!" Menma gasped as Hinata suddenly started to attack him, sloppy, but fast and dangerous, "W-What's going on?! Hey! Talk to me!"

"NO NO NO NO!!!" Toneri screamed, total fear and panic consuming him further as he realized what he had done, "STOP FIGHTING!! YOU MIGHT GET HURT!!!"

Hinata suddenly stopped mid step and it gave Menma the perfect chance to see the completely blank look on her face.

No recognition.

No light in her eyes. 

No quirked eyebrows. 

No scowl nor smirk. 

She was stiff.

She was not herself.

His heart dropped in his stomach and Menma moved towards her before he could process what he was doing. He reached out to touch her face, "H-Hinata?"

"STAY AWAY FROM HIM AND COME TO ME THIS INSTANCE!!!" Toneri raged.

Hinata mindlessly obeyed, slowly turning and walking towards his direction.

"No!" Menma thought, "Never again!!!"

Quickly stepping in front of Hinata, Menma wrapped his arms around her as he closed his eyes shut, embracing her, keeping her there.

He felt her chakra. There was something different, disrupting it. He instinctively knew how to help her.

"What... did he do to you?" Menma whispered to Hinata's ear, his right arm pulling away and started glowing orange, "Please hold on... Just a little longer..."

He closed his eyes as he shoved his hand into her, digging deep, and soon finding a solid orb of chakra.

Toneri was enraged, but fear held him down. He didn't want to risk being hit by Menma. That orange chakra in his arm... he should definitely be careful with such power. So all he did was scream commands at Hinata.

All of his screams were muted out the moment Menma started pulling out the orb.

Menma's eyes widen, breathing stopping, a knot forming in his throat. As much as it pained him to do this to her, what he saw broke a part of him.

Hinata seeing her sister with gouged out eyes.

Hinata constantly hiding and lying to keep her and her sister safe.

Hinata carrying a large burden.

Hinata without having personal space.

Hinata being ignored.

Hinata being screamed at.

Hinata being attacked.

Hinata losing all her hard work in the castle.   
Hinata being groped without her consent.

Hinata being treated like a literal design.   
Her memories were...

_"Hinata..."_ Menma felt his eyes water.   
She suffered so much.


	30. Just For You

Menma's eyes widen. As much as it pained him to do this to her, what he saw broke a part of him.

Her memories were...

 _"Hinata..."_ Menma felt his eyes water.

She suffered so much. Yes, she was a shinobi. One of Konoha’s best kunoichi. But... Why did she sacrifice herself like that?

Deep down, he already knew the answer.

His tears turned into an expression of his rage, the feeling tht had been bubbling in his chest since he landed here.

Family was her weakness and her strength, because she cared. She cared so much... Loved so much... She was always ready to help. To protect.

He could even remember it too well... That she did the same with him during the war.

And she had done it now again. For Hanabi.

The intensity of her love, the things she would do... They were limitless. It sort of scared him... Would she do the same over and over for him?

He couldn’t forget how she gently knitted the red scarf he saw from her memory.

It hurt really bad.

She dropped limp in his embrace as he broke the chakra orb, blinking down a few tears before he dropped to his knees, holding her firmly and safely in his arms as he cradled her body.

He was almost afraid to touch her, as if he could see all her wounds inside out. And there were so many he didn’t know what to do.

She felt so fragile in his hands.

His whole body shook, raw with burning emotions overwhelming him from within, clouding his mind and judgement.

"You put her through so much..." Menma said, barely above a whisper, before he glared up at Toneri. His eyes flashing between deep blue and frightening dark red were piercing his enemy's soul. "How could you do that to her?!"

Toneri twitched, his breathing heavily, his own eyes glowing brightly, gathering more power, as he glared back at his teary enemy.   
No, it wasn't his fault...

Was it?

NO!

It’s her fault!

YES!!

His eyes hurt.

NO!!!

She was supposed to love _him_! Not some second-class human!

YES!!! YESYESYESYES!!!!!

His head hurt.

She should've listened!

"GAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!"

Toneri screamed and fell on the floor, his palms on his aching eyes. Menma watched the scene, face stoic and feeling anything but satisfaction, _"Karma’s a bitch"_

He wanted to stand up and just end everything right there, but he suddenly felt the hand he was holding lightly squeeze his. His gaze instantly softened when his eyes fell on Hinata.

"Ngh..." Hinata groaned, slowly regaining consciousness.

She heard screaming from the distance, but she could recognize the voice talking to her. She focused hard on it, her mind slowly adjusting out of its sleepy state.

"...nata… Hinata…" Menma’s voice faded in, hand shaking as he cleared her face of her dark locks. "Thank Kami, you’re okay"

His arms gently wrapped around her head to keep her near his heart that was pounding wildly in his chest.

To protect her from Toneri’s ear-piercing screams. To keep her in a safe bubble where she could take time to adjust her senses. To keep himself sane. "You're okay. You're okay. You're okay..."

It's only when he felt calm enough that he loosened his embrace, moving back from her.

He was too relieved to hold back his emotions.

Hinata met two shining orbs when she opened her eyes. It was strange to be back in control of her body.

She felt heavy, as if her limbs didn’t belong to her, but the familiar hand caressing her skin, giving her intense sensations, was a good anchor to wake back up to reality.

He was so close to her that she could feel his deep breathing, see his bright blonde hair, his dry tears on his whiskered cheeks.

She delicately placed her fingers on one of his cheeks, wiping away a few new tears with her thumb as his lips started to tremble. He leaned in her touch, closing his eyes to enjoy the feeling of her warm body again.

"I'm… I'm so, so sorry"

"It's okay Menma-kun"

He shook his head, "No. It's not okay. I'm sorry for everything. None of this is your fault..."

"I'm the one who's sorry for-"

He cut her off by surprising her when he kissed her gloved palm. Once... Twice... "I… I was so fucking scared-ttebayo... I'm sorry, I'm-"

"Menma-kun" This time, she cupped his face with her other hand and his eyes opened to meet her endless pearly ones, "Stop apologising. I said it’s ok. I forgive you"

Her fringes met his forehead protector when she led him towards her, the tips of their noses brushing against each other.

He sucked on air, feeling her love fill him again, easing his rancor and turning it to ease.

They were so preoccupied by each other that they didn’t notice Toneri's screams turn into harsh pants as he was watching the scene, his emotions mixing into something dark, dangerous and ugly.

He stood up, each and every one of his muscles sore, aching in pain, but he managed to straighten his back, looking down on them.

However, neither of them paid attention.

How dare they! These pathetic humans driven by something as stupid and horrid as love! It’s all an act!! A ruse!!!

He remembered the war they orchestrated!   
He remembered very well!

"I'M TIRED OF EVERYTHING!!! I'M TIRED OF EVERYTHING!!! I'M TIRED!!!!!!"

He suddenly lifted his hand towards Menma with a crazy look, head tilted to the side, a lopsided smile on his lips, "DIE, NAMIKAZE MENMA!!!! DIE!!!! DIE DIE DIE!!!!!!!!!"

Menma was known to be fast, but when he saw that he was barely standing up with Hinata in his arms while the dangerous blast of chakra approached them, he had to make a quick decision. All in split seconds.

He cursed and quickly pushed Hinata away from him, saving her from getting hit.

Menma just had enough time to see her cushion her fall with her weak limbs before Toneri's powerful jutsu sent him crashing into a wall, pushing him further and further in, "GAAH!!"

"Ahaha... Ahahaha! AHAHAHAHA!!!!" Toneri laughed as he poured more and more chakra into it, "DIE!!! DIE!!!!!!!"

"Menma-kun! No!!" Hinata screamed in fear as she quickly stood up on her wobbling legs to save him, but it only resulted in Toneri turning his attention to her.

"Hinata~ My sweet!! Ahahaha!!!" Toneri cooed as he gave his back to Menma.

Hinata's eyes widened as she was suddenly levitated off the ground once more and quickly flew to Toneri's arms, his jutsu paralyzing her.

"Hinata!" Menma yelled out in fear, watching her paralyzed in Toneri's grasp, feeling too weak to move.

"LET MENMA-KUN GO, YOU BASTARD!!!" Hinata cried, but, as if he was deaf, Toneri continued to coo at her.

"It's too early ahahaha! You should be sleeping!!" Toneri said in between laughters, his left hand forming another puppetry jutsu orb while his right caressed her cheek.

The contact brought her memories of her body being touched, abused, watched while he was playing with himself to get rid of his own perversion.

The feeling of not being in her own body she felt earlier intensified.

She felt gross, broken, used. She wanted to cry, the aching knot in her throat growing and growing.

Will she ever own herself again?

They were so close, she could feel his sweaty scent and it felt way too familiar for her. A sickness, anger, revenge took roots in her heart, but for some unknown reason, she was afraid. Powerless before his crazy blue eyes.

"You're so beautiful, Hi- ACK!! GAAAHH!!!" Pain pierced his whole body again.

Hinata was in the way of his hand. Immobile, she couldn’t dodge the blow.

She was accidentally harshly slapped before the jutsu stopped, dropping her to the ground. Again, she ignored the pain she felt, nearly panicking as she quickly ran away... Ran towards Menma.

With shaking hands, she helped pull Menma out of the wall. He stumbled out and barely caught himself, but Hinata gasped and hugged him right away.

The hard impact to the wall he had did damage, breaking several ribs, making him cough out some blood. Damn, he lost a lot of chakra again from trying to cushion that.

He also felt dizzy, but the sob escaping her lips and the way her fist tightly clenched on his jacket caught his attention, completely forgetting his own agony.

"Are you okay?" They both asked at the same time.

"HIN- ACK- HINATAAAA!!!" Toneri screamed through the pain, cutting off the moment between the two as he struggled to crawl, "COME BACK TO ME, HINATAAAAA!!!"

As memories were coming back to her, Hinata gasped and pulled away from the hug. As she was told to do all her life, she pushed the pain away to focus on the mission.

She was a shinobi. She had to endure. Her condition wasn’t the priority.

She urgently told Menma, "We have to destroy the Tenseigan! Let's go!"

She quickly lifted her skirt and ran as fast as she could, Menma quickly following behind her.

She was moving so fast that he almost lost her...

"As in the reborn eye from the idols earlier?!"

"God dammit, yeah! Hurry!"

... But either way, they finally found their way back together.

\- - -

"Hanabi!" Neji yelled as Sakura broke down the door.

On the bed sat Hanabi, her back turned to them. She was sobbing.

"I'm so sorry..." She said, barely above a whisper, "If it wasn't for me... None of this would've happened!"

Sakura felt her heart break. Why was she blaming herself?

"I-I knew they were coming for me!" Hanabi yelled as she gripped the sheets "I was too afraid and froze up... Hinata-nee-sama... She's suffering because I let him catch me!"

"Hanabi! None of this is your fault!" Neji claimed as he marched to his cousin's side, only to freeze in place, his eyes widening in shock, "Your... Your eyes"

"What?!" Sai gasped dramatically.

Sakura quickly made her way in front of the eyeless girl and examined her. Not even bandages were wrapped around her head to prevent infection.

"What happened to you?" She asked, holding the young girl's hands.

"H-He wanted my eyes for something... He's bad!" Hanabi yelled "He took my eyes out and left me for dead... I-It wasn't until my sister forced him to let me have food that I ate a-and she secretly treated me with a mystical palm when she wasn't busy..."

"Well, she did a terrible job" Sakura hissed before gathering green chakra under her own palms and releasing it against Hanabi’s empty sockets, _"She has an acute infection going on, and she's showing signs that she could have physical trauma and phantom pain... Something like this should be treated with a healing jutsu every six or so hours..."_

"She didn't... The treatments suddenly stopped yesterday"

"Dammit..." Neji cursed. Something happened to Hinata... _"And I wasn't there!"_

"She stopped appearing too abruptly... I can't even hear her voice" Hanabi whimpered.

Sakura and Sai looked at each other. Whatever was happening... It certainly isn't good.

\- - -

She saw it more than once before. But it was yet to fail to terrify her. Its chakra felt a lot like Toneri’s. Cold, hard, lacking of life. For the umpteenth time, she pushed away the flashes of his hands on her.

_"Focus, Hinata! Focus!"_

Holding his wounded side while it was healing, Menma noticed the fear in Hinata's eyes as she was checking if she could use her chakra again after spending hours and hours in her puppet-like state.

They now stood before the massive orb of chakra before them. Immense power, it challenged his own reserves, if not more.

His eyes returned to her. He was worried, seeing her uneasy expression, but said nothing, knowing how she could react if he didn’t think twice before speaking.

Hinata could remember what she saw. She knew what it was capable of. The slaughter fest it caused. And all of it, in just one wave of a hand.

Uncertainty. Fear. Nausea. She felt so little. Was this what her chakra is capable of?

She's no stranger to murder and war. But the thought that the Byakūgan, ones similar to her kekkei genkai, the one that always meant family connections to her even when she was pretending it didn’t, was the cause of this... This... This doomsday device!

Was that it?! If she fails, the entire Earth perishes?! What if she accidentally activated it?!

No. She couldn’t afford to think like that. She shouldn’t be panicking.

She had to stop this... Now!

With a squint of her eyes and a terrible scowl, Hinata exhaled in frustration as she took steps back, tucking her palms beside her hips in a powerful gentle fist stance.

Tears formed the corner of her eyes.

 _"This very thing..."_ She thought as she screamed, _"Killed thousands in a second!"_

Something inside her ignited. As if a newly found gift opened itself for her.

She could feel her chakra burn and flare, thousands fold more powerful than before, stronger than the amount she received from Menma during the war...

It was the chakra of her ancestor! Otsutsuki Hamura's chakra flowed within her!   
Only she was capable of destroying this! _"I must not fail!"_

"Gentle Step: Twin Lions Surging Shot!!"

It burned! It burned!

The chakra felt overwhelming and foreign, unlike Menma’s.

She never felt so powerful before. It was almost too much.

_"I must not fail!!!"_

But-

What if she did?

_"I must not fail!!!"_

And then...

She struck the Tenseigan, bare hands...   
She jumped back and watched her assault do its damage.

_"I mustn't..!"_

With so much chakra that she inserted into her jutsu, the Tenseigan flickered as some of its chakra was killed off, quickly switching from completely dim to blinding bright.

And after it flickered the last three times, lightning even travelled all around it, Hinata's nature affinity unintentionally mixed into the attack due to the lack of practice over her new chakra.

Then a short moment of pause.

A pause.

No... It wasn't a pause...

_"I failed"_

Hinata's eyes widened in horror.

"No..." She took steps back in pure fear, tears running down her cheeks uncontrollably, "No, no, no, no, no"

"Hinata!" Menma yelled, grabbing her shoulders. The way she reacted... Hurts him. She was so afraid... Why?

He felt rage. This _thing_ was scaring Hinata. How dare it even dare so. He wanted to destroy it.

No... He _needed_ to destroy it!

Staring into Hinata's teary eyes with his piercing serious blue ones, he then said "I won't let it scare you anymore, dattebayo"

A statement. He never lies.

With a heavy scowl, Menna turned on his heels and marched to the Tenseigan, glaring at it as if it was the man on top of his kill list, "I'll fuckin' rasengan this piece of shit!"

"N-No! You don't understand!" Hinata screamed as she grabbed the back of Menma's gear, desperately forcing him to stop, "This is different from everything else you've faced, Menna-kun! This could kill you!"

"I'll die destroying that shit! It won't bother you ever again, dattebayo!" The blonde growled as he tried to escape her grip, putting his hand out to prepare a rasengan.

"You can't scratch it! You'll die for nothing! Please!" The bluenette screamed as she cried harder, trembling much more, "It will take away all your chakra until you're left for dead! Only Toneri and I could touch it! Only the ones with Hamura's chakra can!"

Menma staggered. He... Can't?

The one thing he _had_ to do for her... He can't...   
No! He refused to let it be!

"I have Hagoromo's!" He insisted, trying to escape her embrace. Not that he couldn't, but he didn't want to hurt her in the process.

"Menma-kun! Please listen to me just this once!" Hinata pleaded, wrapping her arms around his waist, pressing her face against his back, hiding her tears in his dirty clothes "I can't let you touch that! You'll most probably die! I can't let you die! I can't! I can't! Your parents are still waiting for you! Our friends need you! The world needs you! Me! I can't live without you! Listen to me for once, Menma-kun! I don't want you to die! I-I love you too damn much!!"

Then, he suddenly stopped resisting.   
The only sounds they both heard was the buzzing of the active Tenseigan, Menma's steady breathing, and Hinata's sobbing.

Hinata... Was still afraid.

Menma couldn't accept this.

He can't.

"Listen to you for once? Are you serious?" He asked.

Her eyes widened. Here it comes... _"Another rejection"_

"Don't you know... That everything I've done... Is because I listened to you? Is for you?" Menma said, his head raising as he glared into the Tenseigan, "Hinata, never once did I not listen to you... I always heard you, through better or worse. You don't know how much it affected me. I wanted to back out from the genin exams so I won't have to fight you, but I didn't. I wanted to leave Konoha, but I came back. I wanted to give up during the war and just give in, but I stood back up"

Then he paused as he stiffened, trembling as he clenched his fists, tears threatening to fall from his eyes again.

"... I wanted to hide away forever and die... Suffer alone..." He said, his voice broken, before he fixed it back up and claimed proudly "...All because I listened to you! All of it, I've done for you, dattebayo!"

He escaped her now weak grip and turned to face her. Then, large, warm, familiar hands tenderly cupped hers as he looked into her eyes, "I came here for you. I'm fighting for you. I'm mad for you. I'm determined for you. All for you. _All_... So, Hinata... If you don't want me to die... Then I'd live for you. Just know, please... Never doubt it, never for a second... That I would never _ever_ not listen to you, dattebayo"

"Menma-kun..." Never before had Hinata felt so fluttered, so accepted, so loved... And it all came from the man she always wanted...

"But I still want to do this for you" He said as he dropped one of her hands and held the other with his own, "Please help me out and infuse me with your chakra, Hinata. I want to do this with you. Let's do this together. We will destroy this thing"

Never did Menma fail to convince Hinata with his words.

Feeling her pride and confidence coming back to her, Hinata wiped away her tears and nodded with a smirk, "Hell yeah... Let's do this!"

"Hell yeah!" Menma cheered back, feeling her becoming strong again.

They both confidently faced the Tenseigan, hand in hand, both proudly smirking at it.   
"Let's do this, Hinata!"

"Right!"

Just like in the war... They will fight together!

She infused her chakra into Menma, feeling his familiar chakra stirring into her body, getting rid of her fears, soothing Hamura’s unknown and untamed chakra, helping her being back in control of herself.

The two formed their signature techniques into a synced conjunction jutsu, working together naturally, even with no practice.   
They both leapt up into the air and released their synced battle cries.

Their jutsus met the Tenseigan.

And once they landed, they didn't release each other's hands as they looked at the orb expectantly.

It flickered. More erratically. More lightning travelled continuously. It was beating. It was pulsing.

Until...

Menma quickly shielded Hinata with his back as the Tenseigan lost its form... And what they saw, they didn't expect...

Orbs flew around the chamber, parting away from the cluster of what used to be the golden giant...

They looked awfully similar to…

Hinata finally understood why she felt the similarity between the Tenseigan and Toneri while Menma's grip on her hand tightened...

"The Tenseigan... Was a cluster of Byakūgan all along..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Hi guys! It's Author 1 here.
> 
> I'm sorry for not updating for two weeks, technically going AWOL on you guys. But I swear --- I needed the time.
> 
> THAT ASIDE!
> 
> Holy poop, Chloe's editing on this one?! I'm speechless!
> 
> It's way more intense and emotional than I first wrote it haha, kudos to her!
> 
> Anyway! You probably know what's coming up!
> 
> Spoiler: The big fight!
> 
> Put on your helmets, 'cause it's gonna be a wild ride!
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


	31. Red Thread

In the midst of running fast with Hanabi's now unconscious body, Sai fidgeted constantly as he kept looking back, watching as Neji and Sakura were left behind to fend off the ridiculous amount of killer puppets.

 _"This is bad! This is bad!"_ He thought in panic, seeing finally another group of puppets blocking his path, _"What would Menma do?!"_

Mustering up all his courage and the meanest scowl, Sai growled, "M-... Move out of the way!!"

And then suddenly, everything seemed lighter, less tense.

The puppets all fell limp all of a sudden, making the pale man gasp and stop his fast blob-of-a-ride, "Woah! That actually worked!"

"Sai!!"

From the distance, he turned and saw Neji and Sakura making their way to him as fast as they could.

"All the threads of chakra suddenly died off" Neji said as he used his Byakūgan to see through the darkness, "I don't know why, but we must get out of here, now"

"Right" Sai agreed as he drew up two more rides.

As the three rode out with Neji leading the way, Sakura quickly noted "It's a lot more less eerie!"

The trio made it out safely, seeing lifeless puppets lined up everywhere, as though they were all making their way to stop their two different assaults.

They made their way down when suddenly, the feet of their rides got caught, and all four of them flew off, Sai panicking to catch Hanabi safely. Sounds of kunai cutting through air reached their ears.

 _"What now?!"_ He thought

\- - -

Kushina felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand. She quickly turned and looked up at the sky in shock.

Minato quickly noticed his wife's reaction and asked "What's wrong?"

"Chakra!" She yelled, pointing above them. And right on cue, they saw a stream of light and distant flashes across the sky, followed by the delayed sounds of explosions.

"What was that?!" Kakashi screamed in panic as Itachi and Sasuke looked at each other warily.

"It's Kumo! They destroyed the belt of meteoroids with a mysterious weapon!" Ino yelled in haste as she held hands with Tenten in fear, "They're planning on destroying the moon next!"

"What?!" Sasuke screamed, "But… But the moon is very romantic!"

"Sasuke, not the time" Itachi scolded.

"We can't let them destroy the moon!" Kakashi hissed "Menma and the others are up there! Ino! Call up a meeting for the five Kage!"

"R-Right!"

\- - -

As the three landed, Neji hissed as he swiftly leaned back, dodging a high speed kunai, before glaring at their attacker, "Shikamaru! What has gotten into you?!"

"A-Ah! Neji! It's just you guys!" Shikamaru said in relief before scratching his cheek bashfully as he laughed, "Sorry about that"

"What happened to you?" Sakura asked, noticing his battered state with her squinted eyes through the dark.

"W-Well, funny story, actually! You see-"

"Someone’s coming!" Neji warned.

The Nara quickly stopped as all four of them fell into fighting stances, glaring into the dark as something quickly neared them.

"Hey, cool it!" Menma said with a chuckle, mockingly raising his arms up as he and Hinata walked out of the shadows, a cocky smirk on his face, "Can't 'ya see that it's just us? Oh right, you can't"

"Hahaha! Good one, Menma!" Shikamaru laughed.

"Finally lighting up, huh?" Hinata teased, making the blonde glare down at her.

Neji was a bit taken aback before the newcomers. His Byakugan didn’t recognise Menma’s and Hinata’s new chakra flow.

How was that possible?

Well, of course he knew their chakra signatures by heart.

He loved Hinata-sama’s chakra. It was fearless and bold. She almost never reduced it, even when she’s in enemy territory.

Menma’s was warm and leading. No matter who was meeting him, shinobi or not, they would feel respect towards the blonde.   
They both were like that.

But right now, Neji felt like their chakra didn’t belong to them. Menma’s radiated so much, it was clearly impossible to not feel it, yet it had never been that peaceful to be in his present. It also resonated with Hinata-sama’s chakra which was much darker and more agitated than before.

In his head, he could picture an injured lioness protected by a curious fox.

It was something he was not used to seeing, making him worried because it meant something bad happened.

"Hinata-sama!" He quickly made his way to his cousin and held her shoulders, scanning over her for injuries, "Are you hurt?! What happened?! And- What are you wearing?!"

"I dunno, some sort of alien wedding dress, I think" Hinata casually said, choosing to answer only the last one before she smiled up at Neji, "And guess what! The thing from our vision? The Tenseigan? Menma-kun and I destroyed it!"

This would explain the complexity he could read within their chakra signature. He should’ve noticed it right away. They were connected like during the war. However, it still seemed to be deeper than during their teen years. Unfortunately, Neji didn't have time to think more about the matter.

"It's the source of power running this entire place" Menma proudly claimed, "Without it, the moon should no longer be moving"

"Whoa!!! Great job guys!!!" Shikamaru cheered as he laughed and slung his arms around the unofficial couple, "I knew you two were worth it!"

Hinata couldn’t help but stiffened even though it was Shikamaru, who was known to do no harm.

  
"Hands off" she groaned as she moved to punch Shikamaru away, Neji quickly catching her fist and slapping Shikamaru's hand off.

Sakura bit back a frown. She’s no sensory kunoichi, but she could clearly see the bond the duo was now sharing.

Envy crept up to her as her eyes watched Menma smiling oh so fondly at the girl who she deemed to be her rival. She’s now trying to wrestle her cousin away, seemingly forgetting that her anger was supposedly on Shikamaru.

 _"What's so special about her?"_ Sakura thought.

Majority of her life, she was confident that Hinata was no match for her when it came to Menma... Was she wrong?

Swallowing back her pride, Sakura called out to her rival, "Hey, um... Hinata?"

Hinata stopped pounding on Neji's back as she helplessly hung from his shoulder one more, cautiously glaring at the pinkette, sensing the lack of hostility in her voice, "What do you want?"

"Listen! Don't make this any harder than it already is! I'm trying to be earnest! Shanaro!!" Sakura yelled, before she took in a deep breath and out to calm herself down, "Look... I'm sorry... For everything I said and did bad to you... Every comment and thought... It was wrong of me..."

Sensing that it's safe to let his cousin down, Neji gently slid the flabbergasted Hinata off his shoulder and on to her feet.

Sakura took steps forward and faced Hinata fully, her green eyes meeting her pale ones, "You were just acting on your emotions, and you always stayed true to them... I had no right to judge you because of that... So, here... I believe this is yours"

Gently taking the Hyuga's gloved hand into her own, the Haruno gently placed the red cloth on it with a bittersweet smile.

Hinata gasped when she saw it, quickly looking up at her rival in surprise.

"That's... The scarf that Toneri broke" Menma said in realization, making Hinata burn red and quickly shake her head, "N-No! I-It's not- Don't- E-Eh?!"

Hinata felt Sakura's leather-gloved hands grab her by her shoulders and turn her to face Menma, the pinkette giving her a friendly push, "Go! He'll love it!"

The bluenette awkwardly stumbled forward  
before catching herself, her cheeks burning red as she looked up at Menma, quickly hiding the shred of scarf behind her back, "D-Don't look at it, okay?! It's ruined and ugly!"

But he didn't care. He wanted it, he accepted its imperfections. 

"Hinata... You really made it just for me, right?" Menma shamelessly asked, yet unable to completely stop the blush growing on his cheeks.

  
He thought she did it for him when he saw her memories, but he kind of wanted a confirmation despite his heart beating too loud in his ears.

He took a couple of steps forward. She was so small, he could see over her shoulder the red scarf being played with in her hands.

"It still looks perfect to me, dattebayo. You made it, afterall"

His comment only made her much more embarrassed, making her look firmly on the ground as her cheeks burned hotter, "H-How do you even know that much about it?!"

"I, uh... I saw some of your memories from that jutsu I pulled out of you, dattebayo" Menma shyly admitted, scratching his cheek before he quickly gathered back up his courage and asked "So, um... Will you still give it to me?"

He wanted to feel the gentleness she used to knit it in its red stitches.

"I-I told you!" Hinata screeched as she snapped her gaze back at him with a small stomp of her foot, "I-I can't give it to you! It's a-all ruined and u-ugly and-"

"I don't mind, dattebayo. It's perfect to me, and that's what matters, right?" The Namikaze said with a tender and sincere smile.

He wanted to feel her endless love through the warmth of its softness.

"It's from you, so I'd love to receive it, dattebayo"

The Hyūga's eyes widen at his words.   
Hinata looked to the side and contemplated, wondering if she should be embarrassed that she's giving the love of her life a scrap of what used to be a scarf, or should she be flattered by his words.

Either way, both made her blush worsen.

Swallowing back her pride and hesitation, she practically shoved his chest as she pressed the scarf to it, still not meeting gazes with him as she spoke with a slight pout, "S-Since you're practically begging to have it, th-then fine! Just be careful with it because it's fragile and might break apart, alright?!"

Hinata's other hand nervously shook beside her as she nervously waited for his reaction.

" _Shit! I should've been less aggressive! That sounded too_ _tsundere_ _-ish! Menma-kun might not like it and change his mind!"_ She thought as she felt the pace of her heart quicken, _"He might reject me again because of-"_

Her worried thoughts came to a complete stop as she felt both of his manly hands gently cup her own then take the scarf, with so much more care she never expected to come from him.

She looked at him in surprise as she watched him smile affectionately at the cloth before carefully pressing it against where his heart is, then meeting her eyes with only one emotion in it...

"I will take care of it and cherish it... Forever"

_Love._

Tears started forming at the corners of her eyes as she felt overwhelmed with the feeling in her heart linking her to Menma.

The one that only he can make her feel.

"Menma-kun..." Hinata said as she smiled back at him, their eyes reflecting only that emotion.

So tender and special.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is another arrow in my fangirl heart!
> 
> I don't really use the other characters' POV when I write, but for this chapter OR just gave me the perfect opportunity to have Neji describe Menma and Hinata relationship. I felt like he's the best one for the task for obvious reasons and I hope I kind of made it justice.
> 
> Also, I love how they use every single situation to confess their love to each other. And they're not even aware of it!
> 
> Anyway, ladies and gentlemen, we're now in the eye of the cyclone and everything is about to go down really quickly.
> 
> You might need a seatbelt for the next couple of chapters because it's going to be wild. We're writing this book to surprise you after all :)
> 
> -ChloeLaPomme


	32. In This Together

**_"Toneri...."_ **

"..." He stared at the scene, large and empty eyes. His twitching fists tightened at the sight of all those orbs. His ancestors’ eyes.

**_"It's gonna be alright..."_ **

_"P-Papa?_ _Wh_ _-What are you- why are you saying that?! C-Come on!"_

His bright blue eyes spotted a pair of Byakugan among the thousands of floating pale ones, staring back at him. They were horribly familiar. They felt caring.

**_"It's all up to you... Okay?"_ **

Yes, it was his last wish. Destroying the earth and being able to live the life they always wanted to have. The two of them together. Father and son.

But now...

It felt cold. Too still. Too quiet.

Eerie silence.

_"Papa?... Oi! Wake up! P-Papa, hey! Come on! You promised to take me to visit again! O-Oi! Papa! Papa! Papa!!!"_

Nothingness filled his heart. Or... Of what was left of his heart. And it hurts.

He tried to shield his sanity, but darkness crawled in his veins up to his eyes, clouding his judgement, forcing him to rely on his poisoned power.

The eyes he never had the luxury to have...  
He lost sight of the paternal gaze from earlier as more eyes surrounded him.

Eyes from all the sacrifices he had to witness at such a young age.

The last thing he had of his father... His family... Gone...

And...

It's...

All...

Because...

Of...

"Menmaaaaa!!!!!!"

**\- - -**

"According to my calculations, we can't afford to stop now, Hokage-sama! I will shoot my cannon!" Raikage A yelled from the screen as he slammed down his clipboard, "I will not risk my home!"

"Please, you have to listen to me!" Kakashi pleaded as he gripped his hair, "M-My students- The Nine Tails! They're all up there together! We can't lose them! I-I can't lose any more of my family, please!"

"Holy shit! Are 'ya legit?!" Gaara asked as he jumped up from his seat, "Mah main man Menma up on the moon?!"

"Well, if we can truly rely on their satellite, then must be so, kid" Mei said, twirling her hair, "But I have to ask, what's the smart move?"

"N-No! Look!" Kakashi said in panic, removing his glove and facing it to the camera, "The clock stopped! The moon's not moving anymore! We don't have to shoot it down!"

"Just in case your eyes are blurrier than mine, that clock started moving again, whippersnapper!" Onoki tisked as he crossed his muscly arms, "I might be an old man, but I ain't crazy"

"W-What?"

The four other Kages looked at their clocks in shock.

"That's it, I shall not wait any more!" Raikage A yelled "Once my cannon's chakra capacity has reached a hundred percent, I will shoot!"

"Hold up, cap'n smarty!" Gaara said "At least give the champ time, yo! Check it, one hour, take it or leave it, man!"

"Well... Menma saved the world once before" Mei said "It's safe to say that he can do it again"

"Hell yeah! Thanks, gran!"

"B-But" A looked at Onoki, "Tsuchikage-sama?"

The old man chuckled, and he knew he lost the argument, "Three thousand and six hundred seconds only, starting now"

**59:59**

"Alright!" Shikamaru cheered, rudely disturbing the romantic aura around Menma and Hinata, "That means we can go home, right?! This is one hell of a story to tell Choji and Ino! Hahaha!"

"Well, he's not wrong" Neji said as he smiled at his cousin, "Come on, time to take you ho- Ngh!"

"Gahh!"

Menma jumped closer to Hinata to ease the bad feeling knotting his guts.

The ground shook once again.

The group of ninjas looked at each other, non verbally asking if they felt what they just did.  
Then another shake.

Then another.

"W-What was that?!" Sakura finally asked.  
They all stood still in their fighting stances, looking around cautiously.

Then suddenly-

"AHAHAHA!!! I FOUND YOU!!!!"

Menma’s powerful chakra clashed with Toneri’s mode before he could see where he was coming from. His feet moved on their own and he found himself shielding Hinata.  
"Over the-"

Before Shikamaru could even finish, a blur of blue light passed them, dispersing them. The floor cracked under their feet, making them lose balance. Everything was speeding up, but they still managed to dodge the other blasts of chakra.

Until they understood Toneri wasn’t after the Princess....

"Menma-kun!" Hinata shrieked, realizing that her partner was tackled away.

She automatically ran after him.

Menma coughed out as he was being dragged in the air, opening his eyes and meeting Toneri with a psychotic grin on his face.

Hissing, he pushed himself off, then off over the castle, he saw the Gedo Statue, raising its gigantic arm up to slam it down.

"Look out!!" Menma yelled, racing to his friends.

"Come back here!!" Toneri screamed as he kicked the ground hard to try and catch the blonde.

Hinata felt the hair on the back of her head rise, so she turned and saw the statue, "Look out!"

The Gedo slammed its fist down, and before Hinata could even jump like the others, she was suddenly lifted into Menma's arms and was higher up in the air than the others. She held tight on to his jacket, not wanting him to be out of her sight again.

As the fist collided with the ground, they saw Toneri disappear into the dust.

"Did he get caught in?" Shikamaru asked.

Menma and Hinata looked up and they realized they were closer to the statue, and they were staring eye to eye with it.

"Menma-kun!" Hinata yelped.

**55:31**

Everything was suddenly quiet, except for the drops of water that splashed on the floor and got his feet wet.

"Kurama!" Menma turned to his friend and raised his hand, "I need your help! It's the Ge-"

The fox stood up, looming over the human. Blue eyes stared back at his red, vertically pupiled eyes.

His heart skipped one beat in fear as he saw the animalistic form turn, giving him his back, and laying himself down, making powerful waves towards Menma that he ignored as he made his way to his companion.

"Kurama! This is not the-"

"I can’t!!"

He couldn’t go back out there again.

Not after everything.

The loud and booming voice of the beast sent the water around him turn into unstable waves again. But Menma kept walking towards him, walking around the beast's paw to stand in front of black nose.

Menma felt his heart break as he looked up and met with the eyes of the demon.

They looked afraid, sad, and betrayed.

"Please Menma, I don't want to fight anymore" Kurama whimpered, "You promised me that I could live in peace inside you. I-I don't want to fight. I'll lend you all the power you need, but, p-please. That's the Gedo. It's basically the ten tails"

"Kurama, please. I'm sorry, but one last time, dattebayo!" The Namikaze pleaded as he carefully walked in between his paws, "You're the only one that could keep that thing away... You don't have to fight it head on. Keep it busy and I'll handle Toneri. If I get to him, everything is over! And then I’ll be back next to you to help you. Together we can-"

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"

For a hot second, he sounded like the Kyūbi Menma hadn’t listened during his fight against the Akatsuki.

The hateful beast.

But when he noticed Menma wasn’t affected by his fake anger, Kurama quivered under his feet, being insecure once again.

"You’re not alone. There’s your team watching. You don’t need me" The Jinchuriki tried to tell with a casual tone.

It used to be Kurama’s excuse when Menma would ask him to get out of his safe space. But it didn’t work on him anymore.

He slowly knelt down and brushed his hand in the fox's fur to get rid of the stress electrifying the air, reminding him they were on the same side because he knew.

Menma knew the fox was a creature filled with trauma and fear. Kurama never liked attention, not after the amount of it that he received from Konoha years ago...

Being used by the Uchiha was never something easy to recover from.

And so was being their puppet, their test subject for years that left deep marks. It had completely trained Kurama’s sweet and trustful character to the point that he had tried to influence his jinchuriki and to take revenge with his human body.

However, Menma did forgive the fox because, deep down, he knew the Bijū felt discriminated, and afraid.

The Namikaze got that part, and he did everything in his power to show the good side of humans throughout the years.

It worked for a while, but...

"Menma... I don't want to die..." He wanted to live in peace. Like he was promised. So he moved away from the young man, crawling into the darker part of the seal, laying down with his tails between his legs, "And I don't want to be involved in a fight anymore... I want to rest..."

... After seeing the amount of people that died because of him during the war…

To keep feeling his brothers and sisters being killed, their chakra vanishing into thin air…

To have sensed Menma’s heart stop...

It opened his wounds again. Because he couldn’t do anything to stop the blood bath. As if he had been once again under the Uchiha’s jutsu. Unable to control his own body.

Kurama hated fights...

Especially after causing the major ones all throughout history...

If he was involved...

"If I fail, matters would only get worse..."

How many civil and world wars were caused because of him? How much blood were shed because of him?

His dark red eyes slowly closed sadly. He vowed never to be involved again...

Menma knew that he wanted to finally rest after the eras of hatred, fear, and suffering, but he still wanted to cheer him up. To make him understand he was amazing in his own way.

"You're wrong…" He said as he climbed on one of his paws.

He knew everything about him. The fox told him what he had been through, what he did and didn't do...

"Kurama, every mistake you made..." Menma started.

"You fixed them! All of them, two you years ago! And you didn't fail, you even became better. You’re dealing with your struggles, with your fears every day. That’s amazing! You can’t deny it," He said before the fox could cut him, "I can feel it, you really try to do better. And I swear to you that you'll never fail again, not when I'm your Jinchuriki!"

Menma had heard his screams to just run from the fight, hide him from the evil. Kurama stared down plenty before, and every one he did added to his fear... Was that all he was? A weapon?

But he didn't want to give in to his paranoia, and it’s true his little human did help him with that.

"I know you've been through a lot, I know you've done plenty! Whether it was your choice or not." The blonde’s voice was almost a whisper, but Kurama heard him loud and clear, "And I want to help you move on from those, exactly like you helped me stop the war you claim that had started because of you."

All this pain could never be washed away... It would always hold a place in his mind... Sure, the pain was not as present as before, but-

"I won't stop helping you, Kurama! And you know that!" The Uzumaki claimed loudly as he continued to march towards the demon's head, "But right now, I'm staring at the face of death. My friends are in danger and we stand no chance against it. Hinata's relying on me, on us! Because she knows we’re a great team together, dattebayo!"

Hearing Hinata’s name, the fox's eyes slowly opened, seeing his human standing in front of him with a face that he had only seen Hokages wear.

Was this kid telling the truth?

... Of course... When did he ever lie to him?

The pats on his whiskers were gentle, and he recalled Hinata’s touch was all the same when Kurama had met her for the first time in his safe space, a few days after the war.

To be in front of the Hyūga heiress had scared him to his bones, but she was nothing like the leaders who used to hurt him.

She was actually a lot like his jinchuriki.  
She believed in the power of the bonds people created around themselves.

And it really made Kurama want to believe it too.

"Please, Kurama. Help me. One last time" Menma said, "The fight won't end unless somebody stops it. I'll stop it, but help me make it possible by protecting Hinata. I know you can do it"

There was a fire in Menma's eyes, bright, confident, and magnificent... And that fire was strong enough to ignite one in the fox's eyes.

"This one time..." Kurama finally spoke, "I'll try. Just make sure to win, and I'll keep that walking stone out of your and Hinata-sama’s way"

Menma smirked and held up his fist, "Thank you, Kurama!"

**54:48**

Menma opened his eyes, revealing his cross slitted eyes, his form suddenly being enveloped with golden chakra.

And one loud yell, he called upon the beast, "Let’s do it, Kurama!"

Hinata watched in awe as she saw the Nine Tails appear from behind Naruto and then quickly attack the Gedo.

And as he tackled the statue, the fox turned his head and looked at the princess in his ward's arms.

When her pupiless eyes met his familiar dark red iris, she was about to look away, knowing how anxious he was under the gaze of humans other than Menma, but Kurama surprised her by not stopping, wrestling it farther away, breaking every structure under their weight as if they were just grass, just in time as a blob of ink caught her and Menma.

The two stood on the 'bird' as they watched the demon fight the statue.

Menma's eyes were determined and proud, Kurama was truly fighting back.

"He's up!!" Neji yelled from a bird with Sai.

Menma looked down and saw Toneri forming seals, "Silver Wheel: Rebirth Explosion!"

Thinking fast, Menma quickly infused more chakra into their ride as the massive blast hit them head on, making it stronger.

Sakura, Shikamaru, Neji, and Sai all flew off as their rides got destroyed.

Hinata, who was firmly standing on the bird, screamed in shock as he saw their comrades disappear, "Nii-san!!!"

With her own shock, her chakra suddenly faltered, and she got blown off.

Menma quickly reacted and let the ink disperse as he quickly grabbed Hinata's hand, _"I won't lose you again!"_

**49:12**

"The Nine Tails is on the surface!" Shiho screamed, "I-It's fighting!"

Kakashi nervously tapped his fingers on his elbow, _"Is one hour enough?"_

"Tsk..." Kushina ran to the edge. She knew her husband had her back.

Minato panicked and quickly grabbed her by the back of her skirt as she leaned over and cupped her hands around her mouth, "YOU CAN DO IT, DATTEBANE!!!!! GO, MENMAAAAA!!!!"

Minato finally pulled his wife back in and pulled her into a hug. The couple looked up at the moon with serious looks, one name running in their mind, _"Menma..."_

**48:41**

The pair of shinobi being apart from the rest of the group quickly twisted in the air to systematically fall, their eyes widening as they realized they were out on the moon's surface, the artificial oxygen from inside being expanded from the hole.

Menma wrapped himself around Hinata as they roughly rolled on to the ground, his hand firmly securing the back of her head. She safely landed on top of him when they stopped, her rich, dark hair falling around them, their eyes meeting before scrutinising their faces for any wounds.

The weight of her body on top of him, his fingers securely around her waist and her clutching onto his shoulders calmed his pounding heart a bit. "Are you alright?"

Standing up, the blonde quickly held his hand out to help the bluenette up as he felt her chakra being all over the place. She was still affected by Toneri’s jutsu, affecting her control. "Y-Yeah, but Nej-"

"PFF AHAHAHAHA!!!"

The Namikaze yelped as a small explosion got in between them, the laughter of the psychopath echoing everywhere. A cloud of thick dust prevented them from seeing, but they were still holding hands.

Until Menma couldn't feel Hinata anymore.

"G-GAAH!!"

His eyes dilated in horror, "Hinata!"

Frantically looking around, Menma hissed and sent a wave of wind with a jutsu to clear the area.

"L-Let go of me! Ack-!"

The blonde looked up and finally found her, and he didn't like what he saw.

Not one bit.

Toneri grinned widely as he held Hinata up by her neck, strangling her, chuckling and cooing, "I found you... Ahaha... I found you"

Flashes of news memories came rushing back in her mind again. She felt the phantom of his hand everywhere on her naked skin, touching, marking places he wasn't supposed to.

He wasn’t fucking allowed to!

Fear digged its claws in the pit of her stomach because she felt like it was happening again. The vortex of unwanted sensations was about to drown her again. She was feeling sick.

Sticking his tongue out, the Otsutsuki slowly licked her neck up to her cheek, leaving a slimy trail of saliva behind.

Giving in to his urges, he pressed her against him, quivering with pleasure as passion overcame his mentally struggle when his thumb caressed her lower back.

Tears formed at the corner of her eyes as she struggled to pry his hand away from her neck. But her chakra wasn’t responding to her orders. Hamura’s was too strong.

She was such a mess, but she comforted herself by saying that as long as she was in control of her body, she could still pretend that he wasn’t turning her throat raw.

That he wasn’t staining her skin.

That she wasn’t affected by him.

That he wasn’t breaking her soul a bit more.

That she wasn’t weak.

Unfortunately, the pain and lack of air sucked her consciousness up.

And she was scared because it was really happening again.

Toneri getting off on top of her while darkness trapped her in its cold embrace and she could think of nothing but Menma, wishing things were different.

"You fuckin' bastard!! LET. HER. GO!!!"

This time, things were indeed different.

Hinata’s eyes fluttered open, blinking the tears away. Her unfocused gaze instinctively fell on the love of her life, the intensity of his emotions almost blinding her as her heart started to galop in her painful chest.

_"It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay"_

They were together.

Pausing his sick actions, Toneri's eyes suddenly darkened as his grip got tighter around her neck which forced her to look away from the ray of hope Menma was providing her.

He suddenly snapped his head towards the Namikaze, his chakra flaring even more as a psychotic look of pure bloodlust overcame him.

They stared down.

Icy blue meets firy gold.

Both holding nothing but wrath, the savage intention of killing each other...

Toneri's mind was set to one thing, and it's killing... Killing... Killing! Killing! KILL!!!

"MENMAAAAA!!!!!"

**47:12**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____
> 
> Author 1 here!!!
> 
> First off, this week has been frustrating as hell haha school's gone crazy with additional work! Even our beloved author A is being stacked against by her own studies haha
> 
> But I'm on Holiday Break starting tomorrow, so I'll be catching up with my books!
> 
> Anyway!
> 
> Meet Kurama! The PTSD Fox! Haha
> 
> Now, before I go, I just wanna say...
> 
> CHLOE IS A SIMP FOR KURAMA!!!
> 
> And I shall simp for the fox too, haha, he needs more love, both OG and this one!
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


	33. Lost Hope

**47:31**

Toneri's eyes suddenly darkened as his grip got tighter around Hinata's neck, pausing.

He suddenly snapped his head towards the Namikaze, his chakra flaring even more as a psychotic look of pure bloodlust overcame him.

The stare down. Icy blue meets firy gold.   
Both holding nothing but fury, the intention of killing each other...

Toneri's mind was set to one thing, and it's killing... Killing... Killing! Killing!!! KILL!!!

"MENMAAAAA!!!!!"

A Truth Seeker Orb rushed to a distance and turned into a golden cage, its door open.

Hinata slowly felt her consciousness slowly slipping away, the oxygen not reaching her brain, the grip around her neck too tight.

But she couldn’t leave Menma. Her will to help him, to stand by his side now that he accepted her feelings took over, despite knowing of her uncontrolled chakra, her body was going to act.

Her heavy arms lifted, her numb fingers wrapped themselves around Toneri’s cold wrist and her fist squeezed shut hard.

Hard.

Harder.

Toneri’s fragile bones broke in her grip, catching the attention of the both men.   
One yelled and the other ran towards her as her passive body slid from the powerless hand.

"Hinata!" Like how the air was eagerly accepted in her lungs again, she welcomed his voice to sing in her ears. 

She was falling, but she knew he would be here.

She just wanted to land in his strong arms. She just wanted to get rid of this paralysing fear squeezing her gut, preventing her to own her own body. She just wanted to be alright.

Unfortunately, her freedom lifetime was cut short when her abuser’s fingers got hold of her long hair. Her weight intensified the pain in her scalp, in her brain, making her scream, more tears gathering at the corner of her eyes.

_"Hinata"_

That was not how she liked her name to be said. It was harsh, hurting her heart at the amount of threat she could hear in Toneri’s tone.

She frowned, wanting to catch his broken wrist to make him let go again. But she realised with horror that he was holding her with his supposed to be unused hand.

He got the use of his wrist back as quickly as if she had done nothing to him.

Panic knotted her throat. _"How can Menma-kun face him if he recovers so fast?"_

Suddenly, she was thrown too harshly into the cage, her back hitting it too strongly, and she quickly landed in its freezing hold.

She was weakly about to soothe her aching neck, but she felt dizzy, the world around her spinning with great speed as she coughed out blood and tried to catch her breath both at the same time.

"Hinata!" Menma yelled in worry, fueling his killing intent. He glared up at Toneri, "You bastard!"

In a blink of an eye, he suddenly received a strong, chakra boosted punch, which sent him flying across the surface.

As he was about to dig his feet in the ground, Menma opened his eyes, only for Toneri's rage filled face to appear with the speed of light in front of him, throwing another punch.

Quickly reacting, he caught his fist and parried.

They were like fighting speeders as they fought faster than the normal eye could see. Poor Hinata, she, who had the Byakugan, had trouble following him because of the damage her body was slowly trying to heal.

Her state of panic, of total submission because her mind couldn’t process what had - and was still - happening aroused Toneri. His domination was challenged by no one but Menma and his deranged mind only focused on one overwhelming thing.

_"Kill! Kill! Kill!"_

That golden eye looking at him from above, as if he was nothing - he was going to take the life from it!

They were constantly throwing each other, running after the other, attacking with pure hatred.

Menma struggled to land a hit. Everything that had been a solid hit, it was from Toneri.

The Otsutsuki's movements were too erratic and thoughtless, answering by nothing but his primal instinct. His chakra mode must come from senjutsu, turning his deepests, darkest desires into something impossible to repress and even with this realisation, the Namikaze couldn't predict his attacks.

Toneri landed a solid kick up at Menma's chin, sending the blonde flying upwards.

His grin returned, knowing it was a perfect time to shoot him down.

The Otsutsuki jumped up and took one of his infinite truth seeking orbs, forming it into a silver wheel, "Die, Menma!!!"

"Not today!" Menma screamed back as he formed a rasengan with orbs of chakra orbiting around it. "Not sorry to disappoint!"

They both pushed themselves with chakra and attacked each other at high speeds.

The Silver Wheel collided with the golden Rasengan.

**42:16**

Now away from the humans’ gaze, Kurama was a little bit more confident of his actions and didn’t feel the need to be as careful as he would be if his large amount of chakra was cloaking Menma.

Plus, if he ever failed, like he had said to Menma, no one but him and this goddamn statue would pay the consequences of his doing.

_"You’re wrong…"_

Menma believed in him. Therefore, that was not how he should be thinking!

 ** _"Positive thoughts. Positive thoughts"_** He coached himself. He also tried not to tremble as he felt Menma’s physical absence next to him.

_"I know you can do it"_

That’s right!

He was going to do everything in his power to protect Hinata-sama.

He was going to do everything right to make Menma proud.

Running towards his opponent, Kurama screamed a mighty roar, gathering chakra to his mouth as he stood before the haunting Gedo.

**_"Run...!"_ **

Why wasn't it running? Or preparing a counter?

The Nine Tailed Fox glared into the lifeless statue's stone eyes, and deciding not to be faltered, he attacked it with his Tailed Beast Bomb.

It didn't dodge.

Kurama stared in shock as the Gedo got its right torso completely blown off, and it was just standing there.

And then-

 ** _"Huh?!"_** He gasped.

The Gedo slowly reformed, the bits and pieces of stones blasted off of it returning to its rightful place.

It slowly reformed.

The fox knew that the statue was taunting him.

Of course, he was stuck with an opponent with unlimited lifetime! He, the powerful Kyuubi, was about to have fun during an endless fight.

Wasn’t it great? Why was he so damn lucky?   
He couldn’t wait to be back in his safe space, **_"Please Menma, hurry up"_**

And then, all of a sudden, ** _"_** ** _GRAAAAAAAH_** ** _!!!!"_**

Kurama looked up and saw large pillars and boulders starting to rain from the sky, the Gedo calling it down upon him.

Fast on his feet, the beast evaded.

Weaving his way to the Gedo once again, he tackled him down with all his might into the hole they made to pass through the moon's surface.

**38:52**

The massive explosion sent both opponents crashing down as Hinata was trying desperately to gather chakra in her palms to blow the lock of her cell off.

Still consistent in his killing intent, Toneri quickly got up and formed all of his truth seeking orbs into explosive chakra bombs, "Die! Die! Die! Die!"

"Rasengan Barrage!"

Menma countered each orbs with a rasengan, killing off the bombs before it exploded.

The Otsutsuki's mind was unstable. He didn't shoot systematically nor one by one, and it caught the Namikaze off guard when the orbs suddenly came in mass numbers, blowing him off his surface and crashing into the ground.

Loud laughter emitted from Toneri as he took one more Truth Seeker Orbs into his palm, putting the most chakra into it.

Hinata felt the disaster before actually having her eyes on it. She gasped when she saw the size of the jutsu, feeling a similar power to that of the activated Tenseigan...

The one that killed off her ancestors.

"MENMA-KUN!" She screamed to warn him.   
Menma quickly stood up and jumped to attack Toneri, preparing to tank his attack, only to see his opponent's lopsided grin as he waved down his hand, and last second, he realized he was trapped.

"GOLDEN WHEEL: REBIRTH EXPLOSION!!!"

Hinata closed her eyes as she stayed glued to the ground of her cage, feeling the familiar attack again, but this time, stronger and less restrained.

And before she knew it-

The moon got pierced through.

Travelling all the way around, the powerful chakra sliced the moon completely in half, clean cut.

And Menma was caught in it.

Hinata's eyes were wide in shock as she covered her mouth, "Menma-kun..."

The grief she felt…

The lack of his chakra she felt...

The hole in Nature's chakra she felt was quickly filled with a uglier chakra and even if she wanted to avoid it, she couldn’t. Toneri’s presence was everywhere.

Everything hit her all too suddenly.

She couldn't even express it properly with the mess that was her mind.

She felt completely empty, void of emotions as she dropped to her knees, her fists tightly clenched around the bars that held her hostage, her forehead pressing against the cold golden metal.

And as she opened her eyes shadowed by her fringe, she saw the jutsu heading towards her...

She didn’t see the point of moving out the way.

She then closed her eyes and waited to be finally free.

**35:11**

It was like time stopped.

For the first time of the day, Kakashi fell silent as he looked up at the moon, a sudden ring of gold forming around it, glowing a strange shade of golden light as it turned a little blurry and dusty from the distance.

Kushina felt her eyes water, and she buried her face into Minato's shirt, refusing to look at the celestial body in the sky. She knew something happened to it. She knew her son was up there, but she could only feel this strange chakra.

Close to the Hyuuga’s yet so different as well.   
Sasuke's eyes widened, his shoulders fell, and his entire body shook. He felt dread.

"Oi! Shiho!" He screamed as he ran down to the astronomers down at the pad, tears running down his cheeks as he picked up Shiho by her collar and shook her, "WHAT HAPPENED? ...Sakura- My friends are up there!"

Shiho was shaking in his grasp. No, not because she was threatened... But because, "The moon... Something split it in two... The chakra satellite got o-overwhelmed and shut down... A-And..."

Itachi appeared behind Sasuke as he grabbed his younger brother's shoulder.

All of the people on the roof were silent, waiting for the bad news.

Kakashi stood frozen on the edge as he looked down in fear of the news to come. What he had feared had happened.

Kushina shook in her husband's arms as Minato and Hiashi looked up at the moon expectantly. Ino and Tenten both held each other in hugs as they both silently cried.

They all knew Shiho was about to add something more news... Bad ones...

"And?" Sasuke asked, not sure what to expect as his mind ran wild.

"Th-The chakra that cut it..." Shiho said shakily as she looked into his eyes in apology… "Menma and Hinata got caught in it"

**30:00**

Shino and Kiba ran to their weakened sensei as she limped out of her tent.

"Kiba! Shino!" Kurenai yelled as she threw her arms around them.

"Kurenai-sensei...!" The two of them gasped in shock.

Their master never was the affectionate type. This show of affection deeply stroked their heartstrings.

Suddenly-

The three of them all felt their sensors go crazy. Shino's bugs in him all started buzzing, Kiba’s and Akamaru’s ears twitched, and the hair on Kurenai's skin all stood.

All three of them looked up at the moon in unison. They all felt powerful and unfamiliar chakra all over it. A menacing one.

"Hinata's up there..." Shino shakily said.

"Wh-What...?!" Kurenai asked as she looked at Shino in disbelief.

"Hinata's up there!" Kiba screamed.

All the active ninjas in the village, Ino told them. Hinata and the others? They're up there on the floating rock radiating with intense chakra.

Kurenai felt all her energy fading away from her, the strong facade she forced to keep up disappearing with it.

The Sarutobi dropped to her knees, catching herself by her hands, she heavily breathed as tears fell to the ground.

"No... No... No... No..."

Kiba and Shino both froze when Ino's voice relayed more news.

And they broke.

_"I'm sorry... But Hinata-san got caught in an attack..."_

**30:00**

Temari shook violently as she held her hands against her chest, scared of the sudden change of the moon.

Her secret lover’s cute face flashed before her green eyes, but she prevented herself from thinking about him as her gaze slowly fell on her little brother as he tightly clenched his fists, looking up at the moon expectantly.

She looked down... She knew something bad happened and her heart clenched.

Kankuro came running into the top of the Kazekage's mansion, sweating and sad.

The three siblings all looked at each other.

Kankuro slowly stood up with his head hung low, "News from Konoha, Yamanaka-san said-..."

By the tone of her voice, the blonde knew.   
Temari walked up to his youngest brother and wrapped her arms around him, reassuring him, reassuring herself.

Gaara's eyes widen as Kankuro... Shook his head.

"It's okay, Gaara-kun..." Temari whispered, her own eyes teary, "It's okay..."

"W-What... W-W-What... What, uh..." Gaara nervously started, not knowing what to expect, "W-What went down up there?"

"Menma."

**30:00**

"Just a little more time" Raikage A said as he paced around, uneasy of the new moon, "Why doesn’t it go faster? Go faster...!"

Killer Bee watched as his older brother made rounds, shaking in his seat as he held onto the engine's controls.

He was in control of the machine that was about to kill Menma.

There was a time in which he wouldn’t have hesitated to press the red button to kill a Namikaze. He and his brother had met Minato and it didn’t end well.

So when he heard he was going to be confined with his son on an island during the war, he had really thought it was a big joke.

However, what he hadn’t expected was how bold the kid looked, stood and acted. He was as confident as his father, which could’ve annoyed Killer Bee if he hadn’t seen Menma’s quiet yet genuine curiosity of others and his natural leading skills.

How could he be this balanced with a demon living inside him?

Interest had digged deep in Killer Bee’s thoughts and he couldn’t help but be amazed by this guy.

The guy who had learnt him so much about the bijuu and jinchuuriki relationship. He even helped him make peace with Hachib.

Killer Bee was now able to protect his village. He was a different man thanks to his friendship with the young Namikaze.

And now...

His brother was expecting him to do it. He rarely asked him to do anything for him.   
B didn't want to let A down.

But Menma...

**30:00**

Hiashi broke down, his head dropping down.   
He felt a hand on his shoulder, he looked beside him and saw Minato looking at him with dread.

They both lost their child.

Minato couldn't imagine the dread this clan head was feeling.

He lost his brother, his wife, his nephew and now his daughters were up on the hazardous moon. Plus, his eldest was gone. Identified KIA, along with her lover.

"I'm sorry," Minato said.

Kushina silently cried as she let go of her husband, then looking at the widower. She put her hands to her mouth, realizing that his daughter was in it too. She walked up to Hiashi and hugged him.

It was the least she could do.

Hiashi... Lost too much.

Itachi held his brother as Sasuke aggressively cried, shaking his head in denial.

The young Uchiha knew how much he values Menma, and how important he was. He knew he wouldn't want to let the blonde go.

He felt funny, knowing that he knew the value of who he lost before even losing him. He didn't know if it made him feel less or more worse.

Kakashi held back his tears as he sat down, his back turned on everyone.

Not one more.

He couldn't take any more.

He didn’t have the strength to smile this time. Unlike other days, he couldn’t hold back his emotions behind his big smile and some stupid jokes.

His facade crumbled and he only let one tear fall down. Not any more.

Tenten opened her eyes as she looked around the Hokage's mansion rooftop.

Her hazel eyes were dull, feeling multiple personal lives being broken to pieces.   
It was scary to see a happy man's sad tears.

**25:00**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like the beginning of this chapter is just me writing and rewriting the same scene again and again and I hate myself for making Hinata feel like that. By the way, I hate Toneri, but what's new? 
> 
> ALSO! I'm so happy some of you like this version of Kurama. He's such a baby and I love him.
> 
> Can you believe in two weeks 2020 is over? I just finished my exams and I looked at my calendar and I was like 'Wait, what?'
> 
> I don't know how to feel really (a bit like this A/N haha)
> 
> Anyway, I hope you're all doing great despite the weird period we've been living in :)
> 
> -ChloeLaPomme


	34. Bitter Victory

**25:00**

Hinata's eyes were pooled with tears. She didn't know the curse of her new chakra, her new power, until now.

She wanted to go, lose her life in the very same attack that caught Menma.

But Hamura's chakra was too strong, and with her emotions, it was released in large amounts, unintentionally protecting herself.

The moon was in half, broken, much like her heart.

It was hard to breathe, her throat still raw from Toneri’s grip. Her head felt light. Her heart hurt. She couldn't think straight.

Only one name running in her head.

One person.

The grip of her hands around the bars slowly loosened, the silk of her gloves making them slide down to the ground, beside the untouched tears on the golden cage.   
A cage.

Much like the curse the rest of her clan had. She felt like a bird caged. Stuck in it, just because she was born with the blood of the elite.

Her chakra was a curse. Her name was a curse.

And because of those…

She lost him.

The echoes of unrestrained maniacal laughter reached her, the only thing she could hear.   
It was torture.

Hinata finally let go, cried as free as Toneri's laughter was.

She sobbed, and hiccupped, and wailed, and mourned.

She wishes she was gone.

"I GOT HIM AHAHAHAHA HE IS DEAD AHAHAHAHAHA I WISH I COULD HAVE TORTURED HIM AHAHAHAHA PULL HIS NAILS OUT ONE BY ONE AND RIP HIS LIMBS AHAHAHAHAHAHA HE'S DEAD HE'S DEAD HE'S DEAD HE'S DEAD HE'S DEAD HE'S DEAD AHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

That constant reminder he gave her.   
His uncontrolled and sickly joy shook the ground, his chakra flaring everywhere reaching her.

As a result of the meeting of their similar chakras, his glowing blue eyes landed on the crying Hyūga, and the deranged look on his face turned into a hellish grin and psychotic eyes, "You’re finally mine, Hinata!"

Her hands balled into tight fists, her palms bleeding underneath her gloves, her hair shadowing over her eyes.

As Toneri was gonna speed his way to her, she made a step back.

That look. She couldn’t let him touch her. Not again. Not ever. But she was so scared. Her lack of control on everything was numbing her.

But… What if it was the solution to her troubles. Her chakra must be as powerful as Toneri’s, so she could take him down, fight for herself, for her teammates, for the Earth.

But… was she really willing to give in to the darkness looming over her heart? She did say she was ready to do whatever it takes to take her sister back, to help Hamura, to save the Earth.

She had been ready to kill Toneri if needed.

But… decisions led to consequences.   
The phantom of Toneri’s hands on her creeped on her skin. She felt like crying again because she couldn’t get free of the psychological grin he had on her.

Her eyes didn’t even try to look up to meet the blue gaze she desperately wanted to see.

Menma was not here anymore.

He wasn’t… anymore…

A new flame lit underneath her skin, chakra bubbling in her blood, waiting for her sign, her call, the moment she would gather her courage and fight. Like she had always done.

A cold shiver ran down her spine.

Would she be fast enough to dodge Toneri’s puppet jutsu?

Was she ready?

Could she do it alone?

She must do it alone, now.

In spite of her words of encouragement for herself, fear dripped in the cracks of her heart because…

She realised again that she was alone.   
Acting though or not, she was still always hurt in the end.

Powerful or not, she couldn’t protect herself, so how could she keep others alive.   
In the end, she had been lying to herself ever since the beginning of this mission. She deserved what happened to her. She provoked this. The only regret she allowed herself to have was to have dragged Menma-kun in all of this!

_"...I wanted to hide away forever and die... Suffer alone..."_

That’s right. That’s what he’d told her. That’s what she wanted now.

_"I want to do this with you. Let's do this together. We will destroy this thing"_

But he wasn’t here anymore.

_"Hinata, never once did I not listen to you... I always hear you, through better or worse."_

Love warmed her body up, getting rid of the flashes of Toneri in her mind. Her pride tickled inside. Hope bloomed in her chest. She wanted to believe.

She wanted to believe in him and in his words.

_"I listened to you! All of it, I've done for you, dattebayo!"_

One last time.

Could he listen to her one last time?

“You... have to come back… You have to come back!” She screamed out loudly, with all her feelings.

"Menma-kun! You have to come back!" She moved forwards, reducing the distance she had put between herself and Toneri, almost colliding with the gold bars, holding onto them for dear life, taking back control of her body and mind, “You have to listen to me and to come back to me!"

A wave of chakra stronger than the others shook Toneri, his own chakra noticing that it was Hinata’s as his eye twitched in infuriation, just the sound of his name heightening his bloodlust, "HE'S DEA-"

The wave she had sent came back to her with information on her surroundings… She could feel everything walking on the Moon. She could feel…

Looking up, she felt _him_.

"You called?!"

Out from the very fault of the moon, hundreds and thousands of Menmas all jumped out, flying in full speed with deathly glares directed to Toneri.

Hinata's eyes shot wide open as she watched him appear, as if rising from the dead.   
It… worked?

Whatever she did, worked!

"M-Menma-kun...!"

She quickly turned to Toneri, and much to her surprise, she didn't see anger, only a psychotic grin.

Toneri watched, deranged, with a sickly grin as hundreds of Menmas charged at him with the intent to kill.

**22:21**

Sakura heavily breathed as she ran quickly across the surface of the moon, following the sound of explosions.

The deathly silence that occurred earlier and the massive earthquake before it, surely it wasn't a good sign.

 _"I have to get there!"_ She thought, running as fast as she could with the low amount of chakra she has, _"Menma-kun is in trouble!"_

Wishing to go faster, she looked at her body wrapped with Menma’s chakra.

When she felt it around her as the cloud of dust faded, she panicked. But then she had figured that it was the reason why she hadn’t died under the attack earlier. The familiar cloak had protected her. It was also easier to breathe now with the oxygen she was receiving from the particles of senjutsu.

Nature was everywhere, even on this piece of rock isolated from the Earth.

But there was no reason to celebrate to be alive yet. Her guts clenched as she hoped she wasn’t the only one who-

"Sakura!"

She gasped and stopped, thanking the heavens as Shikamaru, Sai, and Neji with Hanabi flew above her and landed in front of her, all of them wearing the same chakra cloak as her. They were all safe.

"Thank goodness! Hurry!” She pointed out towards the battle shaking the entire moon, “We have to-"

"No" Neji sternly said, hopping down his ride, his Byakūgan flaring, with Hanabi unconscious on his back, "This is where our line ends"

"But Menma-kun-"

"It's too dangerous for us to be there" Neji said, "We're no match, we'll only get in the way"

"Hinata's there too!" Sakura yelled, in hopes that it would sway Neji, "Your cousin!"

"I know" The Hyūga said, still firm on his decision, "I trusted Menma to take care of her"

"But-" She felt a hand grab her shoulder reassuringly.

She turned and saw Sai give her a comforting smile, "Sakura, we have to listen to Neji"

Shikamaru gave her a confident nod, not a smile, not a joke, but a strong statement, "Menma is strong. He can do it"

Sakura swallowed her spit as she gripped her fists, looking down with an uneasy look.

"Besides" Neji said as he turned his back on her, "You don't have your Byakugo, you'll be useless there. Now. We still can look for a way out. I don’t know what will happen when the fight is over, so we have to be ready for every possible outcome"

She understood. She had to wait. She had to believe.

_"Menma-kun..."_

**20:02**

From all possible directions, clones all lunged at the enemy, all with the same intention.

Attack. Destroy. That’s all Hinata could see in his eyes.

Toneri licked his lips and laughed, "Come at me!!"

The white haired man took multiple of his infinite truth seeker orbs and shot out uncontrolled chakra bullets, blindly shooting at every direction.

The Menmas didn't even dodge, all kept their eyes ahead, most meeting their short-life's end as soon as it started.

And as the distance closed in enough, "Giant Rasengan Barrage!!"

Having broken a panicked sweat, Toneri formed a solid dome around him, looking with horror as he started to tremble inside, hearing the massive power and explosion the assault made outside, one that could have killed him!

Just one shot from any of those, he would have-

Out of the ground, Menma suddenly appeared and uppercut Toneri, catching the Otsutsuki by complete surprise.

The dome instantly fell as the white haired man took massive damage from the hit.

The Otsutsuki's maniacal grin fell when he felt pure fear as Menna emerged from the ground with a confident smirk.

And as he thought the assault was done, he was almost blinded by a light radiating from Menma's hand, and just as he realized what it was, it was too late and got hit with his arms being his only shield.

The blonde felt enormous pride as his favorite move worked, sending a powerful Rasengan directly to the unstable man, sending him flying back far along with it.

As Toneri caught himself on his feet, feeling all of his blood run cold as he saw Menma, brightly grinning and gleaming with confidence as he stood from the clearing ground of where he used to be, then hearing the explosion and feeling its shockwave, the power of one hit.

And in a moment of panic, Toneri built up most of his chakra into one poorly thought move, "S-Stay away from me! Stay away!! Golden Wheel Rebirth Explosion!!!"

Menma's confident grin turned into an infuriated frown, "Do you actually think I'd let you get away with everything you've done?!"   
He carefully took out the shred of scarf from his pocket, holding it ever so tenderly, fuelling his anger towards his enemy.

Running head on into the very same jutsu that cut the moon in half, Menma focuses his overwhelming amount of chakra into his left hand, then using it to break through the deadly attack, "After ruining all the hard work Hinata have done more than once?! Without even a single thought?!"

He remembered, from Hinata's memories, the days she took to make the scarf as perfect as possible, carefully knitting knots together, searching for the softest yarn, and the amount of emotions she poured into it...

"All you thought of was yourself! And never how she felt! You made her suffer so much under your wing!!" Menma screamed, cursing Toneri for Hinata, closing in the gap between the two of them, feeling the chakra getting more and more powerful the closer he got, "I won't stop... Until... You get what you..."

As he completely defeated the rebirth explosion, he glared directly into the eyes of his cowering enemy, letting all of his anger known, "DESERVE!!!"

Then, faster than the speed of light, Menma's fist met Toneri's cheek into a powerful punch, one that was unmeasurably strong. And in the blonde's fist was the scarf, the one that Toneri tortured along with Hinata.

The punch sent the Otsutsuki flying, breathless, and the ground below them exploding from the overwhelming power.

He had never received an attack that powerful before. And it was just a punch.

He was crashing through rock structures, bouncing off and breaking the ground each way, and then crashing into a steep moon wall, his entire body buried in.

With one big and bloody cough, Toneri's chakra cloak fell, along with his own tears.   
Menma quickly turned to Hinata and saw the truth seeker disappear.

Landing swiftly to her feet, Hinata gasped and, without a second thought, ran to Menma and tackled him into a hug, and was lovingly welcomed.

"H-How?" She asked more for herself than for him as she felt his body with her hands.

"You saved me, Hinata" He breathed. "You saved me with your chakra"

He felt her head shook. He wasn’t really sure why so he kept explaining, "When Toneri’s jutsu hit the ground, I expanded my chakra to the whole team that I hardly had time to protect myself. So… I kinda had struggled getting back on my feet when it was over, but then I felt you. I felt your chakra. It was like calling me as it was healing me"

She looked up at him and he grinned.

"Told you I always listen to you"

"Y-You moron! You scared me!" She cried as she tightly hugged him again, her heart pounding yet peaceful at the same time.

"Sorry" He smiled through the hug and lovingly squeezed her, resting the side of his head to hers and saying "I promise I would never leave you. But, I'm still sorry for scaring you, dattebayo"

The couple stood there, in each other's arms, taking in each other's warmth.

A sharp and weak sob slowly came in, along with pitiful pleads.

They both turned and glared at the man stuck in the rock.

"H-Help me... Hinata, please... Help... H-Hinata!" Toneri hysterically pleaded, "Please, please, please help me! Hinata, please! A-Anyone! Anyone! PLEASE HELP MEEEEE!!!"

She first wanted to make a step back, but with her heart hamming in her chest, she stilled.

Toneri suddenly smiled and weakly laughed as he watched Hinata make her way to him, "Y-Yes, thank you, Hinata! I-I-I love you! Thank you! Help me!"

Hinata stopped at arms reach, then, she felt a sharp feeling of fear as she met his eyes. It looked different, it matched hers, yet, it was the same ones he used to-

She froze.

Once again, she was afraid.

Everything he did. He committed.

The things he said. He whispered.

She was trembling.

There he was, crying and desperately calling out to her with a shaky smile.

What should she do?

What should she do?!

Suddenly, a large and comforting hand grabbed her shoulder, snapping her out of her trance of fear, and she looked up, seeing Menma next to her was enough to make her mind up.

She would give in to darkness.

"You stole my sister's eyes" She growled, marching her way to the man, "It's time I take them back, you fuckin' bastard!"

Toneri's eyes widened as he realized what she was about to do, desperately trying to back away, "N-NO!! NO!! NO!!! YOU'RE WITH HIM! WHY?! WHY?!?! HINATAAAAA!!!!"

This time, she didn’t hesitate.

This time, she was in control.

She was taking back the rights on her body, on her heart.

Now safely in her gloved hands were the eyes of her sister, used by their kidnapper to do multiple horrible things, under her care, in constant soothing chakra to keep it moist and alive.

"You said you needed help?" She said coldly, "I’ll be back to help you end your misery, Toneri"

Once she was sure Hanabi was okay, she would come back for Toneri.

She walked to Menma’s side, but he caught her elbrow, stopping her in her tracks, "Hinata. You can’t-"

"I deserve to get my revenge, Menma-kun. I won’t let him go freely when he’s turned the last days into a living Hell for me. And it’s still fresh in my mind, I can’t stop seeing him getting advantage of me" She quickly wiped her single tear away, her gaze still hard, "I might never be the same after that, but-"

“I’ll help you get better-ttebayo!” His fingers met hers to get her attention, his eyes burning with determination, "I swear!"

"Then I need to do this. Please, don't interfere unless I tell you so"

They kept looking at each other until he nodded, but didn’t let go of her hand as she slowly turned and walked away, ignoring the bitter taste in her mouth, the lump in her throat and holding onto Menma's silent support.

"It's always me... WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME?!?!" Toneri cried tears, screamed, as blood fell from his empty sockets, his whole body shaking in pain, "WHAT DID I EVER DO TO BE DOOMED TO THIS FATE?!?! WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME?!?! WHY WOULDN'T ANYONE EVER HELP ME?!?!?!"

Hinata frowned deeply as Menma wrapped an arm around her, the two of them walking away from the man, leaving him to die and rot alone, not even sparing one last glance to look back.

They were done. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10:10
> 
> Happy 2021, everyone!!!
> 
> And! 'The Last: Menma the Book' is finally back! Whoop whoop!
> 
> This chapter is pretty... Emotional.
> 
> I dunno about you, but I felt Hinata's stress as I was writing this hahaha I also felt Toneri's suffering, and maybe writing these types of high emotion stuff isn't healthy for me because I embody the characters to write them hahaha
> 
> Anyway! Chloe even made it worse! Her edits made this ten times more emotional, and I suffered sadness for the characters!
> 
> I love this book, so much.
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


	35. Interlude 3 - Dear Papa...

**11:4:12:5:10:10**

"Hey, Toneri?"

"Yes, papa?"

"Do you remember your mother?"

...

_**"It was always me for everything"** _

...

Toneri clearly looked confused, so he crossed his arms and leaned against his father, "Well, clearly I don't! I never even got to see her, papa!"

...

_**"At that moment, I should've known I was missing something"** _

...

His father softly smiled, even though he knew his son couldn't see it, and hugged him.

"She was the most beautiful person I've even seen. Long dark hair, pretty eyes, cute lips, soft skin and she was a fearless warrior, my son" He sighed. "As soon as I met her in her village, she showed me that she wasn't afraid for me. We were different, but I knew she was the love of my life. So, I wooed her. Like a true pure-blood Otsutsuki would have done. That's how, despite her hot-temper, she fell for me, too. I taught how to be a lady in order to have her next to me, her delicate hand on the crook of my arm. Everyone would look at us when we were together. However, some people didn't approve of our romance, so I kidnapped her"

"You... You kidnapped her!" His dad was so cool!

"Well, not really" He laughed.

"What do you mean?"

"I married her despite what people would say because that's what real love is, Toneri. I wanted her to have everything she desired. So we had a big wedding"

"Did she want to have a child?" Toneri asked shyly.

His father caressed his white hair, "She did. And I was really happy when I saw she loved you very much"

"Do you think I'll ever find someone like mom? Someone who'll love me like mom loved you? Someone ready to leave everything behind to be with me? Because, I'm nothing like you, so maybe I'll end up all alone"

"You won't end up alone, my son. You and I, we're the same. A pretty girl is waiting for you out there"

"Hinata had chosen to come with me"

Toneri let hope wash over his body and remained in his father's arms until their puppet arrived and gave them tea.

His father started to drink not so long ago, which was strange because it was just some hot water and some plants. What he preferred the most was the cookies on the side of his cup.

Plus, he didn't have to share his sweet with his father.

He cut his cookie in two and asked, "Papa? How did you manage to make people accept mom as an Otsutsuki?"

The atmosphere shifted again and there was a long pause again as his father put down his cup of tea.

...

_**"The desire to receive love and someone to love can make you do horrible things"** _

...

They were sitting at the edge of their castle's roof, facing the emptiness and floating stones of what they called their home's atmosphere.

"Well..." He said and suddenly changed subject, "How about this instead. Do you remember what Hamura wanted?"

"Of course I do" Toneri chuckled and left his untouched cup of tea with his cookies now crumbled to the side, "You always remind me, papa!"

"I guess I do, huh?" The older man chuckled, then he continued, "I can't wait until the day you do it... It's gonna be amazing... All of our ancestors would be so, so happy"

"Don't worry, papa! You'll see it soon!" The young boy proudly claimed, cheerfully throwing his arms around his father, "Just watch, I'll make you proud!"

His claims were only met with a small chuckle.

"Hey! Don't laugh! I promise I will!" Toneri pouted as he lightly punched his father's chest, "Just you wait!"

He huffed as he crossed his arms, swaying his feet.

"Will you still do it... If I can't see it?" His father asked, "What if I'm not watching?"

"Mahhh!" The young boy whined, "Then turn around and look! What's the point of doing things if you're not gonna watch, papa?! You won't even be proud if you weren't looking, I bet you'd even be disappointed that you didn't see 'cause you were too busy napping like you do all day long!"

His father raised his arm and rested his hand on his son's head instead, gently patting him.  
  


...

_**"It was always me, the reliable one. Someone that you can trust with big hopes and dreams"** _

...  
  


"Toneri... Even if I'm not there..." He said, "Will you promise me that you'll still go through with it?"

"What do you mean?" Toneri asked, "You're gonna help me do it!"

"Son..." His father said, "Promise me... Okay?"

With a soft grumble, the boy nodded and said, "Fine..."

"Fine what?"

"I promise" The little boy promised with a cross of his arms, "I swear, you're so lazy!"

The man then let out a loud and hearty laugh, making the little boy laugh with him contagiously, "Papa! Don't laugh! Stop it!"

"A-Alright, alright" His father said, slowly slipping out of his laughter, "I'll stop, I'll stop"

...

_**"It was always me, the source of joy. The beacon of hope"** _

...

Toneri carefully shifted closer to him, sneakily making his way to sit on his father's lap, his mind slowly going hazy.

The father noticed his son started to be nodding off, clearly sleepy.

"I love you, Toneri" He said softly, cradling his son in his arms, "I'll watch over you. Always"

...

**_"_ ** _**You lied. Just like mom, you left me"** _

...

"I will..." Toneri yawned out, sleepily making his own little claims known again, "I'll make you proud... You'll see... Papa... I will... Just wait a little bit..."

The man's lips gently curved into a sad smile, tears starting to form at the corner of his empty sockets.

Gathering chakra to his forehead, he looked at his son in his arms. He still looked so small... So fragile... And so innocent, he was.

The last hope of the Otsutsuki.

Toneri promised to him. He couldn't be any prouder. He always was so proud of his young man.

His tears fell to the boy's face, making the young one groan and wipe his face, then shifting and pushing his father's face away, "Stop drooling on me, papa..."

The man chuckled. He shook his head and held back his laughter, using his hand to gently comb the hair of his son, "Alright, I'll stop, sorry about that"

"Just stop drooling" The boy sleepily said, starting to doze off again.

His father lovingly looked at him.

"I wish I could look at you with eyes, my son" He said sincerely, from the very bottom of his heart, it ached just at the thought of it, "I really wish I could"

"Me, too, papa" Toneri sleepily said, "One day... I'll bring... You some... Eyes... Too... I promise... That... Too..."

And that's when the man's gentle smile disappeared completely.

He adjusted so his tears won't fall to his son.

Deep inside, his heart broke. For himself, and for his son too.  
  


...

_**"And of course..."** _

...  
  


"Hey, Toneri?"

"Yes, papa?"

"I'll be joining your mother soon"

...

_**"It was always me, the one to lose everything"** _

...

**11:4:12:4:10:10**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're still in January, so, Happy New Year everyone!
> 
> Short chapter about Toneri's past and I've struggled so hard on this one.
> 
> Yep! That's right, OR decided to make Toneri destable, I've followed her choice to the letter and now, I can not stand him anymore. What about you?
> 
> Can't wait to deliver you the rest of the story to see how you'll feel about the end.
> 
> Because, yes, this story is almost complete! 
> 
> I'm still processing this news, too, haha
> 
> -ChloeLaPomme


	36. Seal the Pain Away

**9:49**

**_"DESTROY IT!"_ **

"Let me rest..."

**_"DO IT!!!"_ **

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

**_"DESTROY THE WORLD OF THE SAGE OF SIX PATHS!"_ **

"SHUT UP!!!"

Menma and Hinata stopped on their tracks as they saw the Byakūgans that used to be the Tenseigan fly to Toneri at high speeds.

The blonde hissed as he sharply turned and saw Toneri back on his feet, screaming out to the voice in his head as he tried to claw the eyes that were sticking to his skin away.

The eyes seemed to be molding onto him and turning him in to a monstrous being. Or rather, into a puppet.

Both her and her sister’s Byakugan activated on their own will as a reaction to the swarm of orbs’ arrival, Hinata wasn’t mistaking. Toneri couldn’t control their power. Similar to Menma’s bijuu mode, ropes of eyes rushed to them.

Pushing Menma aside, Hinata took the blow. Of course, they were attracted by Hanabi’s eyes, trying to reunite with them. On instinct, she protected her own with her hands, still able to see everything around her.

"Toneri!" She hissed through her teeth, "Stop that!"

"They won’t leave me alone!"

Jaw clenched, she gritted her teeth until Menma’s hand caught her wrist, hiding her behind his back which did little to nothing to protect her from those angry Byakugan. He felt a shiver going up his spine, it was creepier than ghosts.

"Just run, Hinata" He pushed her, forced her to take the lead for him to be between her and the eyes, leaving Toneri behind for good.

Memna dared a glance over his shoulder, seeing the mass of floating balls of chakra stop chasing them, rushing back to the only living being left. Toneri was now the distraction while they were planning to find the others and to live this Hell.

Yet, his screams followed them, lingering in their ears.

"THEY WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!" Toneri screamed.

**9:01**

Kurama let out a shaky sigh of relief as he rested on his back.

His nerves were starting to calm, the adrenaline he had disappearing slowly.

 ** _"Now, I can go back to Menma… I hope that…"_** The tip of his tail started to wag, **_"...Hinata-sama’s safe"_**

He looked at the sky, letting his words sick inside his mind.

Realisation had his ears lie on his head, body freezing as he closed his eyes.

 ** _"That’s not my place to think about that! She’s the Heiress"_** He barked to himself.

His lids slowly rose and he dared sending a glance at the statue frozen in front of him which hadn't been moving for a while, so he assumed it was finally safe.

But, as per usual, he was wrong.

The Gedo suddenly started to move again.

Kurama's eyes widen in fear as he saw the fist raise again.

And in a moment of panic and no second thought, he blew off the statue off of him and through the surface of the moon with a Tailed Beast Bomb.

Realizing that he might've endangered Menma, he groaned slammed his head back.

**8:51**

"Menma-kun!" "Hinata-sama!"

The five arrived at the scene.

Neji's eyes widened, his Byakugan being activated too when he realized what was attaching to Toneri. Suddenly, a small but powerful hand smashed itself over his sight, "Neji! Cover your eyes, quick!"

"A-Are they g-getting closer because of your Byakugan?" Sai voiced with fear.

Right after, Neji placed his own hand over Hinata’s eyes now unprotected since both her hands weren’t free.

"What are you doing? We can’t fight with our arms entangled!"

"Oh, right!"

Screaming in pure agony and hatred, Toneri let the eyes consume him, "THEY WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE! THEY WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"

"What should we do?!" Sakura asked as they regrouped with the couple, "What's happening?!"

"H-He's in pain!" Sai deducted in panic, "He doesn't want to do this!"

"LET ME REST!!! LET ME REST!!!" Toneri screamed as the eyes around him completely engulfed his body, "I WILL DESTROY IT!!! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!! THEY WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE UNTIL I DESTROY THE EARTH!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!"

"He doesn't want to do it!" Shikamaru said as he pushed Menma by his shoulder, "Stop him, Menma!"

Blue eyes looked for Hinata already facing him. He had promised.

Then, all of a sudden, the giant statue broke through the surface of the moon, shaking the ground where the group of ninja was, knocking Toneri into mid air and floating off.

In unison, the Earth ninjas all sent chakra into this parcel of the moon and ducked from the stones that were raining down on them. 

Fortunately, not a single one touched them because Kurama had used his body to shield them. He had tried to fix his mistake by chasing after the statue and preventing it from hitting the side of the moon where he had sensed the team was. But as always, he was too late, being on time to just protect them.

Holding tight on his orange fur, all of them had now their eyes firmly set on Toneri.

As Toneri suddenly got exposed to the sun, the jutsu that was molding the Byakūgan with his body suddenly went out of control, not threatening Hinata and Neji, but growing and growing.

  
The Earth ninjas all ducked from the stones that were raining down on them, but all of them had their eyes still firmly set on Toneri.

As Toneri suddenly got exposed to the sun, the jutsu that was molding the Byakūgan with his body suddenly went out of control.

"AAAACK!!! STOP IT! STOP IIIIT!!!!!" Toneri screamed as his body tarted mutating into horrific forms, "GAAAAH!!!"

"His Jutsu is working against him!" Neji figured, "It's absorbing the energy of the sun! He's way passed his limits, Menma!"

"Menma-kun, save him!" Sakura yelled as she shook his arm, "Toneri is in pain!"

"Menma, do something!" Sai yelled in panic, "This is bad!"

"He's suffering, Menma!" Shikamaru screamed, "Help him!"

"Menma!!!"

"Menma!!!"

"Menma!!!"

"Menma!!!"

And Kumara must have felt it, misinterpreting the reason his jinchuriki was tense because he started apologising, saying it was all his fault. His whines only emphasising the hubbub surrounding the blonde.

In a slight state of panic, he looked at Hinata for answers, for orders.

But she, as well, looked confused, pressured. She didn't know what to do!

They didn't want to help him and yet, she was feeling like letting him die wasn’t fair. He should know what he had made her experience, not getting away with it. She had said she wanted to kill him, for Hanabi, for herself, but wasn’t too easy for him?

"MENMA!!!"

"MENMA!!!"

"MENMA!!!"

Finally, she looked at him.

"Hinata?" He asked out over the yells of his name.

"MENMA!!!"

The pressure.

"MENMA!!!"

Hinata couldn't-

"MENMA!!!"

She nodded.

And in a blink of an eye, Menma quickly entered his Kurama Chakra Mode and jumped up to pull Toneri back down.

Both Menma and Hinata regretted their decision. Regretted letting the pressure get to them.

After all the unforgivable actions and pain that Toneri brought upon them… She had found the perfect way to make him pay, and this forever.

**5:05**

Neji had his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall.

He could hear screams from inside one of the rooms of the castle as the door briefly opened.

"I'LL KILL YOU!!! I'LL KILL YOU!!! I'LL WIPE THE EARTH OFF OF YOUR KIND!!! NAMIKAZE MENMAAAAA!!!"

As the door closed, he could hear the heavy footsteps of the threatened man.

As soon as Menma came into his view, he asked, "That was fast... So? Have you both decided on what to do with him?"

"I've decided that I didn't want him anywhere near the people I love the moment I saw him" Menma hissed, his back turned to Neji with his hands in his pockets, "He's not rejuvenating on Earth. We'll leave him here alone to rot"

"Are you two sure about your decision?" The Hyūga asked, "You and Hinata would leave him alone here?"

"We're isolating him here" The Namikaze firmly said, "She won't let me kill him, but we agreed that we at least want him to suffer being alone until he dies"

Neji nodded, "So she’s truly made up her mind..."

Menma massaged the back of his neck, "Hinata's asked me to let her handle Toneri after she’d taken Hanabi’s eyes back. She definitely wanted to kill him. I saw it in her eyes. But once I had rescued him, she told me to seal him away. And do that, I shall"

"Then, I’m glad my cousin won't become a killer"

He turned on his heel and met eyes with the Hyūga, stone hard gazes meeting, "When I saw her eyes earlier. The expression she had. I understood that, even though I promised to not infer, I would’ve been the one killing Toneri. Hinata’s suffered enough"

"I know you would have done it, but I’m glad you didn’t"

"I’m just listening to Hinata"

"As always. Now you’re just aware of it"

"Neji" He stopped him. "I've only made those sealing chains to last us about a day. Before those disappear, I'm sealing that portal home closed"

Understanding what Menma was implementing, Neji nodded and stood, "I'll round up the team"

**0:59**

The sound of rocks being crushed. The feeling of his claws scratching the raw material, in this instance it was the night star itself! The view of his creation taking little by little shape in front of him. The way his mind was only focusing on what he was doing and not on what was surrounding him. All those little details made calligraphy so relaxing.

**_"Ahhh!"_** Kurama cheered happily as he looked down and admired his work, ** _"Nothing like calligraphy to calm the nerves!"_**

He suddenly felt a hand, way different than Menma’s, pet his leg. He looked down and wasn’t surprised to see that it was Hinata. However, what caught him off guard was her smile.

"You really did a good job today, Kurama"

If the demon fox could blush, he would’ve been all red due to her praise. She was not nobody; the Hyuuga heiress's words made him super self-conscious about himself. Also, she was really beautiful, it was really intimating. 

He nodded shyly and whispered "I'm glad you're ok, Hinata-sama"

"I'm okay thanks to you" Her head tilted to the side as her eyes softened, "So thank you"

Looking to the side, the tip of his tail whiged on its own will, again.

"Yeah, I didn't think a giant fox would know how to write!" Shikamaru laughed. “So thanks, you’ve taught me something.”

Hinata side glared at him and said "I swear, you're way too happy almost all of the time"

"Hey! What's going on here?" Menma asked in an amused tone as he arrived with Neji, walking over to his demon and patting his other leg, "What's that? 'Mission accomplished'? Do you really think that's necessary?"

**_"Calligraphy is satisfying!"_** Kurama huffed. Sai immediately backed him up on that.

Menma chuckled and said "Sure, if you think you writing on the moon helps. Now get back in here, we're heading home, dattebayo!"

After one last look at Hinata with whom he locked eyes, Kurama happily returned to Menma's seal without another word.

Hinata walked up to Menma and asked, "So? D-Did it go smoothly?"

The blonde smiled softly at her, "Neji and I cleared things up and it went fine. I took care of everything. You don't have to worry about it anymore"

She smiled back and nodded, completely reassured.

\- - -

Neji deactivated his Byakūgan after studying the passage, "It looks like it's weakening. It seems you don't have to seal it since it's going to disintegrate on its own without the Tenseigan"

Menma looked at Hinata, then back at her cousin and shook his head, saying "I'm not taking any chances"

Nodding, Neji replied, "We're going through the spring now while you seal this place"

"Right" Menma said.

Sakura was the first to dive in, followed by Hanabi, Shikamaru, Sai, then lastly, Neji.

Hinata silently watched as Menma performed hand seals. She slowly walked towards him to place her small hands on his shoulders. Focusing on his task, he started, but then said nothing when he felt her chakra flow in his body, mixing with his own. With their combined power coming from the Otsutsuki twins forming his jutsu, she was making sure that it never broke. Accepting the extra help, he then slammed his hand down.

Both orange and purple chakra gave birth to a line of nuance of pink chakra that formed and built itself up as a large wall, completely blocking off the passage before becoming invisible.

"Nothing's coming in or out," Menma said as he glared beyond the barrier they had made, "Portal or no portal."

He then faced Hinata, looking at her profile while she was staring at the sealed passage. During this short moment of silence, he wondered if it had helped her find closure. Was she feeling safer now? Able to move on and to heal? 

His hand caressed hers still on his shoulder and squeezed it light to gain his attention. When her Byuakugan met his blue eyes, he smiled, “Come on, let’s go home,” and felt relief when she intertwined their fingers.

He got up while thinking he couldn't wait to spend his next days with her.

How much he had missed just because he refused to see it...

But-

"Hinata?" Menma asked, seeing as Hinata refused to look at him, her other hand holding her arm as she looked down to the side with a troubled look, "I-Is something wrong?"

"Menma-kun, I-..." She said as she shifted her weight around, "I have a... question."

"What is it?" He asked.

The Hyūga looked at him, finally, and said, "I, um... I talked to your mom before this whole thing happened, and she, uh... The scarf that you were wearing... The green one... You said that it was special, and um... Your mom... She... She said that the one who made it was the one you... The one you love..."

Hinata quickly looked back down.

It was better if she mentioned it now before she regretted anything.

She felt Menma let go of her hand and saw him pull out the balled up scarf from inside his bag, "You mean this one?"

"Yeah. Real sensitive, asshole!!" Hinata screamed as she stomped her foot, "Sure! Shove it to my face! How about I shove it to yours?!"

  
She quickly snatched the scarf from his hand and started shoving it to his face, tears brimming her eyes, "How do you like it, huh?! Your _special_ scarf shoved to your _special_ face!"

Suddenly, Menma's laughter made her stumble back a bit, he laughed out "Hey, hey! Stop it!"

Hinata suddenly became red and threw the scarf to his face, "You big jerk! Now you're laughing at me!"

"No, no!" Menma laughed before he slowly calmed down, catching the scarf before shoving it back in his bag, shaking his head in amusement, before reaching out and wiping her tears away with his thumbs, "Hey, Hinata-"

"Don't touch me- don't touch me!" The Hyūga stepped back as she slapped his hands away, "I don't wanna be your side chick! If you were happy with someone else, you could've told me so and not lead me on, you ass-!"

"Hey, wait! Listen!" The Namikaze said as he grabbed both her shoulders and looked into her eyes sincerely, conveying his feelings through them, "Hinata. You're the only one"

Blushing, she suddenly turned from aggressive to nervous and said "B-But Kushina-san said-"

"Of course she'd say that" Menma chuckled, "She meant herself. Mom was the one who made that scarf for me"

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Five seconds. Hinata stood still for five seconds before her face started burning hot red.

She quickly jumped back and turned around, slapping her hand to her face, "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?! So embarrassing...!"

"Aw, come on, Hinata. It's okay" Menma chuckled as he reached out and held her shoulder, making Hinata shake her head and cover her face with both her hands.

"N-No! Don't look at me! I'm embarrassed enough, okay?!"

"Are you sure?" The blonde teased as he moved to hug her from behind, making her blush harder.

"D-Don't touch me! You're making it worse!" she yelled.

But she wasn't fighting the hug. If anything, she was hiding her face in the crook of his arm, making him laugh softly.

"Hey, Hinata?" He softly said as he moved to face her, "You're the only one I love"

This made Hinata look up at him in surprise, her heart fluttered even more when she saw that Menma was gazing at her so tenderly, smiling so lovingly.

"Let's go home?" He asked, to which she wordlessly agreed to with a nod, still too flustered to speak. Plus, she was feeling bad for yelling at him when he actually did nothing wrong. She won’t tell him though. And yet, he must have felt her guiltiness because he hugged her again.

He was being so touchy. She won’t complain.

He smiled brightly as he slowly pulled away from the hug, only to hold her hand and look ahead.

"Alright. Let's go"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I FORGOT IT'S THURSDAY!!!
> 
> Sorry for the late update, everyone!
> 
> It's all me, I caught a fever, and I forgot absolutely everything about online stuff!
> 
> Anyway!
> 
> We're here, everybody! We're almost at the moment we've all been waiting for!!
> 
> Are you ready?
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


	37. Chapter 37

"The Moon! Hokage-sama! The Moon!"

Everyone looked up, expecting to see the night star explode into tiny pieces. But it was still bright and very round.

"Wha-Wha-Wha-What is it?" asked Kakashi as he wiped his tears away.

"The Kyūbi have written ‘mission accomplished’. The moon has stopped. They’re alive!" Said Shiho, looking at the parents and friends of the team located somewhere above them.

"What?!" Kakashi gasped, jumping down to the astrologist's area, pushing the person on the super telescope.

_'Mission Accomplished'_

Engraved elegantly into the face of the moon.

Kakashi's felt relieved.

He fell to his knees, a wide smile under his mask, and tears fell to the ground, _"They're okay..."_

While everyone seemed to be in shock, lost for words, Sasuke was the first one to act. He summoned Garuda and was about to climb on it when Itachi stopped him, tightening his hand around his young brother’s arm.

"Where are you going?" Itachi asked, worried about Sasuke's hurry.

"I have to go and find them. I need to be sure...To be sure they’re okay! To be sure she’s okay!" Sasuke yelled, nor wasting another second before shoving his hand away and quickly leaving on his summons.

Hearing so much passion and determination in the young man’s voice, Kushina broke into tears again.

"Kushina!" Minato caught her in his arms.

"That damn kid’s giving me gray hair way before I can call myself an old woman" She sounded angry, but he knew better. His blue eyes softened when he heard her sobbing, "He’s okay, Minato... Our boy’s okay... They’re all okay"

She looked at Hiashi, his arms hugging himself tight, his lips trembling with relief and his eyes staring at the Moon. His daughters would be home very soon. His daughters were safe.

And as Sasuke’s hawk flew in the sky, Ino proudly announced with her soft voice the news.

All villages around the world could finally release the tension and yell their happiness.

**\- - - - -**

As the Earth rejoices, in the passage, they finally rejoined.

"Hey, Hinata?" He softly said, "You're the only one I love"

This made Hinata look up at him in surprise. Her heart fluttered even more when she saw that Menma was looking at her so tenderly, smiling so lovingly.

"Let's go home?" He asked, to which she wordlessly agreed to with a nod, still surprised and flustered.

He smiled brightly as he slowly pulled away from the hug, only to hold her hand and look ahead.

"Alright. Let's go"

As the lovers' hands connected, the bubble around started glowing in faded green colors, the memories they shared presenting themselves in the form of multiple vivid pictures.

Hinata's eyes widened and watered as Menma gazed back at her lovingly, slowly taking steps back and slowly pulling her along.

With a small kick at the platform of dirt below them, they slowly floated up into the air and gently landed on the next, their eyes never leaving the other's.

Menma held Hinata's waist with his free hand and spun with her with every jump they made. She immediately placed her own hand on his shoulder and held on him tight.

It was as if out of a fairy tale, Hinata felt like a true princess as they slowly danced to the beat of the fading passage.

She couldn't contain her joy, and her soft giggles echoed along, adding to their makeshift music as the joyous tears beautifully rolled down her cheeks.

Not even Menma could hold back the large smile on his face. He didn't even know when was the last time he, or if he had ever, smiled this big and genuinely.

Lost in their own little world, one where only them and their memories existed, they didn't even fear getting lost in the artificial space they were in.

Each step they took, the ground below them cracked and fluttered to dust, but with their graceful movements, they were dancing away from the chaos racing them from behind.

With every bubble they approached, they glowed into a memory, older than the last.

"As much as I want to say that I regret making you wait," Menma said as he guided her through the passage, looking at what they both had accomplished. Things they did on their own, but also together, "I just can't make myself regret anything at all. Everything just feels perfect, all thanks to you"

Hinata stared at him with wide eyes, lost for words, seemingly unable to find things to say for once more. Only he was able to make her like this. Such as she was the only one able to make him so honest.

Suddenly, he caught her eyes with his and they almost stopped, unbothered by the time they were taking. The green bubbles around them grew numerous.

Though they were now empty. The couple had arrived at present time. Standing at a crossroads, the choice was now theirs.

Were they ready to fill their lives with new happy memories?

"I promise you, Hinata. I would love you longer than the scarf you made me. I would love you for eternities and the ones that would come after"

Absolutely.

The scarf, as red as his mother's hair and as pure as her mother's heart, made itself present around his neck, where she meant it to go.

It was warm, and it felt welcoming.   
With wide eyes, she watched him wrap the end around their hands.

Although Hinata couldn’t understand why he had done that, she didn’t move, unwilling to break the link between them. She then looked at the red colour clashing with her pitch black gloves, but matching perfectly with his tan skin.

"I swear,” His grip tightened on the scarf and she eyed him again, “I will protect you just as many times that you have protected me and more"

Just like the time she stood up for him against the village. He would do anything for her just as she would for him.

After all, the reason he stayed was her.   
"I will share with you everything I have and give you much more"

He remembered the kindness she had shown him and the care she displayed. Even in the face of the public back in the Chunin Exams, she hadn't cared about her pride and had given him medicine knowing that he most likely would throw salty comments.

But, after all of those, she remained strong.

Stronger than him.

"I remember Iruka-sensei asking who we would want to spend the last day on Earth with, and I didn't even do the activity because I had no answer. But, now? If I were asked that question again, I would answer, without one hesitation, 'Of course I would spend it with Hinata' because I would like to spend every second with you, no matter what the day"

Of course she remembered the question, she remembered contemplating whether or not to give him her answered paper as a love gesture.

She, too, without missing a beat, would answer him.

"Spring, Fall, Summer, Winter- I don't care, I would come and see you, just to let you know how much I love you"

That one moment that brought the both of them here happened during the coldest of winters. Giving her that scarf was one of the best decisions he had ever made.

To think that a thoughtful gesture of a child could make two adults happy for the rest of their lives.

"I won't miss a chance of seeing you ever again"

He won't deny her anymore. He would jump at any chance. Little him didn't even know how amazing it would have been if he had not refused meeting her when they were younger.   
But he said no regrets.

His past mistakes made him grow into a man. They had him understand what was important to him because he had almost lost Hinata.

First during the war when she wanted to sacrifice herself for them. And then, because of himself. Because he had too much pride.

He really thought he would have her in his life forever without lifting a single finger.

How full of himself he was.

But this time, he won't miss anything. Not anymore.

"I promise"

Hinata listened to him pour his heart out, every word, she was on edge.

Menma knew he loved her for so long, but didn't want anyone to know. He didn't even remember when it started.

She was always his priority to be safe, and he would always place himself in front of her to be the center of her attention.

He was just stubborn not to admit to anyone, and was afraid he wasn't good enough.

Years of pent up feelings were finally confessed. Turns out, she wasn't the only one pinning.

Lifting her hand from his shoulder, but keeping her fingers entangled with his and the scarf, Hinata laughed as she wiped her tears, "Th-That's so cheesy"

His left hand pressed hers still wrapped in the scarf.

And then-

"Marry me"

Her voice got caught in her throat, and she looked at Menma in shock.

Did she hear him right?

"Wh-" She struggled to voice out, the one hand she had on her shoulder tightening its grip ever so slightly, "What?"

"Are you deaf?” He mocked a fake annoyed frown, “I said 'marry me'."

His eyes were filled with determination and earnesty. His request- no. His demand was loud and clear.

Blushing, Hinata felt her heart go wild, and her mind was a mess, "M-M-M-Menma-kun?!?! A-Are you sure?! D-Do you even hear yourself?! A-Are you sure?! D-D-Don't fuck around like that!"

She was sure he had gone completely mad. Marriage? Already? Weren’t they supposed to date? To have their first kiss? To do stuff other couples normally do?

But since when were they doing things like everyone else?

Menma's eyes squinted a little as he held a firm gaze on her, pressing her closer to his body. She felt like her entire nervous system was setting on fire.

“Please, Hinata. Marry me, please"

He was the one being pushy now.

More tears flowed out of her eyes as she weakly punched his chest.

Y-You’re so stupid" She muttered.

  
Her fingers so softly caressed where she had hit him as an unneeded apology, her entire form shaking.

"Hinata-"

"M-Menma-kun, please! I-I'm for sure going to say 'yes'! S-So you better stop now if you're just messing around, 'cause w-when I answer, I-I'm not letting you go!"

"Please just say you'll marry me!" He practically begged as tears started rolling down his cheeks, too. A gigantic smile formed on his face, already knowing her answer, "Hinata, we've waited far too long already!"

"Yes!" She cheered out, loud and proud with her burst of laughter, both of them crying tears of joy, "Yes! Yes! Of course I'd marry you, dummy!"

Menma laughed along, but Hinata's was cut off when, in one swift movement, he let her hand go, bent on his knee, wrapped his arms around her and lifted her. His heart was beating so fast, he felt like walking on air. She placed her hands on his shoulders to not fall as he smiled.

"I will never let you go-ttebayo"

But his laugh stopped when she looked at him. She was so touched that he was finally showing her his true emotions. He could see hers in her eyes and he felt like he had been punched in the guts.

Carrying her in his arms, he pulled on his feet.

With a yelp, Hinata suddenly noticed that they were far too near the nothingness that was destroying the passage, shrieking, she threw her arms tightly around Menma's neck again, "M-M-M-Menma-kun!!!"

Blushing at the sudden contact, Menma looked at her begging eyes.

Jumping off the platform and steady into the air, he smiled at her and said "Don't worry, it's gonna be okay, dattebayo. Just hold on tight and don't let go, alright?"

Feeling her heart skip at the tenderness of his voice, she nodded. Fully trusting him, she loosened her grip around him, relaxing her head on his shoulder.

They could both feel the steady heart beats of each other, finally calm and full. After all of the years they waited and stalled, it was finally here.

"I already told you... I'd never let you go" She said, their eyes locked in.

Creating a rasengan with one hand, Menma prepared to take her to heights they had both never ventured before.

Taking one last look around the shattering yet beautiful place where their most treasured memories floated around them.

And at the last second, they blasted away, escaping the shattering world, moving towards their future together. One look at each other and they smiled ahead as they approached the glowing spring that they had entered from.

The couple splashed out of the water, and before their teammates could even react to their antics, Menma broke through the ceiling and far up into the sky.

And with one last spin to end their waltz, at the highest point of their flight, they both saw each other's eyes again, raw with love and emotion.

As beautiful as the glowing moon and the starry sky behind them was, all they could admire was each other. While his hands cupped her face and her fingers gripped his jacket, they knew the fall was going to be hard.

But it won't be as hard as when they fell for each other.

And yet, as they naturally fell back towards the ground, they both closed their eyes and slowly leaned in.

For the world to see, ever so lovingly, the silhouettes of star crossed lovers, venturing from the moon and back, finally overlapped.

Thus, sealing the first chapter of their story to an end with a tender kiss.

" _Hinata..._

_Thank you."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And just like that, they're engaged and shared their first kiss! *fangirl sceam*
> 
> It means, this is the last chapter, people.
> 
> Fortunately, it's not time to say goodbye yet!  
> OR had the wonderful idea to add epilogues:
> 
> Four more updates about the main couple and their friends are coming; a bit of romance and comedy as a treat because there was some pretty heavy drama and dark themes in this story. But I know that's what you all enjoyed the most.
> 
> So, see you next Thursday and thank you all for reading!
> 
> -ChloeLaPomme


	38. Epilogue - Looking Towards the Future

The moon was still very close to the Earth. Huge in the sky, it helped to guide a rushing shinobi on his hawk summon.

At least it had stopped and nature was already reasserting itself.

Sasuke's eyes squinted as he flew top speed, slightly regretting not gearing up for the snowy weather.

He groaned as he tried to look through the darkness of the night and the thickness of the trees, heading the direction from where Hiashi came from.

And then, finally getting out of the forest, he hissed as he saw floating figures, knowing from Hiashi that the enemies could defy gravity.

He directed Garuda up, bearing a kunai in his hands, seeing nothing but red as he prepared to slit their throats.

He wasn’t going to be nice to them. He had been scanning the perimeter for hours, but found none of his friends.

Thinking something had happened to them on their way back home made his heart throbbed.

He activated his sharingan.

But then-

 _"Menma?! Hinata?!"_ He gasped as he came closer, _"Wha-? They're in danger!!! They’re going to hit the ground and with their speed, I think we’re going to have to pick up a mush of them!"_

Quickly dipping down, he caught the couple by their collars and pulled them until their feet touched Garuda’s feathers.

He grinned widely to face them, "I just saved your life, my dear friends! You're both very welcome!"

But- "SASUKE, YOU BITCH!!"

Suddenly, he was tackled and being strangled by a strangely groomed Hinata.

"Oi, Hinata! Stop it!" Menma yelled as he tried to restrain the aggregated girl flipping Sasuke off screaming, but his arms around her waist did little to nothing.

And the Uchiha started to wonder if his friend was actually holding her back to help him or if he was just making the effort to prevent her from falling off the hawk.

"Fuck you! Fuck you!"

"Wh-Wh-What did I do?!" The Uchiha whimpered, overdramatic tears flowing down from his eyes, "I saved you guys!"

"You ruined the fuckin' moment, you asshole!" The Hyūga screamed, throwing her fists around, trying to reach him.

Sasuke looked at Menma with begging eyes to protect him, but squealed in fear, seeing that the Namikaze looked just as pissed.   
It’s true then, he didn’t care about his well-being.

"Whoa! Is that Sasuke?!?!" He looked down and saw Shikamaru excitedly jumping up and down while laughing, flailing his arms around as he called him "Sasuke!!!"

Sasuke landed Garuda down, hopping off of it along with the new official couple.

Not wanting to die tonight, he made several steps away from the tiny but still very angry Hyūga.

"Sasuke, you came..!" Sakura gasped in surprise, making the Uchiha flirtatiously wink at the girl and say "For you, kitten? Anywhere, I'll g-GWAH!!"

Now safely on the ground, Menma had let go of Hinata and was watching her shaking Sasuke with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Hinata-sama! Stop it!" Neji yelled as he lifted Hinata to his shoulder to stop her from strangling the poor man, the younger, "Lemme at him! Lemme at him! I was about to get the dick until he came in!"

"BWHA- What?!" Menma choked, then looked at her nervously, "H-H-Hinata! Not out in the open! Y-You were gonna-?!"

"I-I was exaggerating, idiot!" Hinata cleared up, equally as red as her partner.

"Oh, if that's what you wanted, kitten, we could do it out in the- Gahaa!" Sasuke was cut off when Menma mimicked Hinata and strangled him.

"Man, Sasuke!" Shikamaru laughed, "If you were supposed to be the back up, you came late!"

"At least you came!" Sai said with a relieved sigh, "I thought they were gonna fall and DIE!"

"Geeze! What has gotten into you guys?! How come you still have so much energy?!" Sasuke screamed as he ran behind Sakura after Neji pried Menma off of him.

"You've ruined my hair!" he added while ruffling his dark mane.

"Sasuke-san, I would appreciate it if you stop joking about those kinds of stuff about my sister," Hanabi politely said, as she was still on Sai’s back, "Especially now since she's dating Menma-san"

Sasuke's eyes widened before he looked at Menma and Hinata both in Neji's grasp, and smiled "Finally!"

The two suddenly calmed down, looking at each other, and then shyly smiling, their fingers reaching for each other.

**\- - -**

As the Hanabi Rescue Team, Hanabi, and Sasuke all flew into Konoha and landed on the roof of the Hokage Mansion, they were welcomed with tears of joy and a group of medninja.

"Hey hey hey! Move out of the way! Hokage coming through! And make way for the doctors to go through, too!" Kakashi used gestures to keep the crowd under control "They have to make sure the team and the injured are all i-"

The Hokage was rudely pushed to the side by a worried father.

"Hinata! Hanabi!"

Menma had to let go of his fiancée's hand when Hanabi and Hinata suddenly were tackled into a hug by Hiashi.

 _"My fiancée…"_ He thought as he watched the scene.

"Father?" The sisters said in unison.

"I'm glad you two are alive" Hiashi cried, hugging the two tighter.

He was about to step forward. To properly introduce himself as Hinata's fiancé from now on when he felt his arm being pulled to the side and his aching body met a smaller, familiar one.

"Menma!!!" Kushina yelled as she hugged him, "My baby!"

Before Menma could even register the hug, Minato already joined in, hugging them both.   
He was struck by how small his dad was. Taller than his mother, yet shorter than him.

His heart suddenly ached more than his other muscles.

"Mom, dad" Menma said as he hugged them back.

He then pulled away, smiling at them with eyes full of content and excitement, looking at his lover as she comforted her father, then back to his parents, "I'm with Hinata"

They had never seen their son smile like that so it definitely means-

Kushina's eyes watered as she gasped, a big smile of shock in her face, "You're dating?!"

"Well... I proposed" He explained, laughing a bit, "So, technically, she's my fiancée"

"Oh my god! That’s even better!" Kushina suddenly laughed loud as she jumped around, squealing in joy.

Minato grabbed both of his son's shoulders, a very large smile on his face, "I'm proud of you, Menma"

"Thanks, dad" Menma chuckled.

"Oh my gosh!!!" Kushina squealed as she ran and interrupted the other family reunion, hugging Hinata, "I always wanted a daughter!!!"

"E-Eh?!" Hinata asked, shocked, then realizing that it was Menma's mom who was happily hugging her, "K-K-Kushina-san!"

"Hey! That's my daughter!" Hiashi growled and pushed the older woman, but Kushina only squealed and hugged him.

"And you're gonna be my co-parent-in-law!!! Isn't it exciting?!"

"Wh-What?!" Hiashi gasped, then, he quickly realized what it meant.

Menma froze as Hiashi suddenly glared at him, Byakūgan flaring.

"WHY YOUUUU!!!" The old Hyūga screamed as he jumped away from the redhead and ran directly towards Menma, a palm ready to strike, "I JUST GOT MY DAUGHTERS BACK AND YOU'RE SUDDENLY TAKING ONE OF THEM AWAY FROM ME?!?!?!"

"Father!" Hinata gasped as Menma cursed out loud and ran for his life, Hiashi hot on his tail as he swung around his hands, missing the blonde by an inch.

"H-Hiashi-san!! I don't mean any ill intentions, dattebayo!!!"

"I don't care!"

"I love her!"

"I don't care!"

"I'm gonna be Hokage-ttebayo! I’m a great match!"

"I don't care!"

Right, the head of the clan had made room for the unmoved, overprotective father.

Whatever Menma would say, it couldn’t calm Hiashi down. He didn’t even pause when the blonde confessed his feelings in front of everybody.

From a distance, Sakura sighed as she watched the scene, "I guess her father is as hot-blooded as she is"

She suddenly felt a pat on her back, and she looked up and saw Kakashi. The Hokage had long stopped trying to prevent the crowd from gathering around the heros to focus on his former student all alone in her dark corner.

"Kakashi-sensei..." She muttered.

He nodded and said "I don't know what exactly happened, but I have a feeling that you did a great job. Your parents would have probably been proud of you"

Her eyes started tearing up.

All her life, she never got a pat on her back from a father. She really wanted to squeeze that gentle hand atop of her head. To be sure it was really. To be sure she wasn’t going to drown in the dark parts of her mind because of her insecurities.

Now that Menma and Hinata were together, she couldn’t compete for someone’s love.

Maybe people were going to forget about her.

She wasn’t the Hyūga’s rival or the possible girlfriend of the next Hokage anymore.

She knows that she should respect them... They deserve each other after all of what happened...

What was she going to do to keep her fears at bay?

Suddenly, the moment was ruined when Sasuke slung an arm around her shoulders and said "Yes, you did a great job, Sakura-chan"

She rolled her eyes and quickly brushed his arm off of her when she caught herself thinking that his presence next to her was actually a little warm. Just a little warm...

To hide her blush, she faced the Hokage as she cleared her throat, "Um, Kakashi-sensei, where are the civilians?"

 _"She didn't punch me away!"_ Sasuke thought.

"They're all in an underground bunker to be safe from the meteors" Kakashi simply said, "They're probably on their way home by tomorrow"

He smiled and she gave him a shy nod, _"Of course he knew"_

"Shikamaru-kun! Sai-san!" Ino called out as she ran up to him. She held her cheek and sighed in relief, "I'm glad that all of you are safe. The Raikage almost blew up the moon with all of you on it"

Her voice was soft yet the words blasted in Shikamaru’s ears.

"What?!" He gasped, flailing his arms around, "We could’ve all died while we were saving the world!!"

She said something, but Shikamaru’s loud voice covered her own. A hand falling on his shoulder then stopped his rambling.  
  
"Yes, but the writing on the moon stopped them" The Hokage calmed the dark-haired boy with a smile on his face. "And then Ino was fast enough to alert Kumo and the Raikage and ask them to stop their attempt. So now you can stop screaming, you’re safe... all of you are... and I'm glad"

"Yes. We all are relieved" Repeated Ino with her hands culled under her chin as she looked at Sakura, too.

But, Shikamaru was too much on the edge to really understand what there was no more danger.

Sai, however, was looking at the blonde with interest. She really did that. The quiet kunoichi spoke directly to the Raikage to save her friends.

He wanted to congratulate her.

Too bad, she didn’t seem comfortable enough to look at him.

He was about to stay quiet when his black gaze fell on Hinata shielding Menma from her father.

 _"Right! I can do it, too!"_ He coached himself.

"I, um... I-Ino-chan..."

She blushed and turned around, quickly tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she faced the one who called her.

"Hi" She quietly said before averting her gaze.

"So you knew we were on the moon?" Sai nervously asked, scratching the back of his head, "Wait, don’t answer. My question’s stupid. Of course you knew. You’re a powerful Yamanaka"

But she quickly shook her head and said "N-No, I-I’m not powerful like you or my teammates. I only understand thanks to the calligraphy on the moon! D-Did you… Did you make it, b-by the way? I-It's beautiful"

"No no!" He quickly denied, awkwardly laughing, "I can't make pretty stuff, hehe"

"Y-You can!" The Yamanaka claimed, her hand on her chest, "You make beautiful art...! A-At least, I think so..."

"Really?" Sai asked, and Ino nodded, blushed deeper.

Neji smiled as he watched the entire scene unfold before him.

They were cute.

He crossed his arms and enjoyed the show, watching over Hinata from afar as she and Hanabi listened to Menma trying to win Hiashi over.

_"Well not as cute as Hinata-sama, for sure"_

He heard footsteps approaching him, and he turned around.

He heard footsteps approaching him, and he turned.

"Um..." Tenten said, fidgetting in her place, before raising her fist and said "Good job on your first leader mission"

He stared at her calloused fist. It was wrapped with bandages from trying to handle weapons.

Even though she was far too clumsy to use those, she was too stubborn and tried practicing them.

Not wanting to hurt her, he only nodded at her in acknowledgement.

Tenten looked down and hid her hands behind her instead, unsure of what to do.

"This might be the highlight of my career"

Tenten excitedly looked up, seeing that Neji was smiling, she shook her head and said "I'm sure you're capable of more"

Neji chuckled and shook his head, looking at Hinata as she jumped up excitedly, then running to Menma's welcoming arms, the echoes of their pure and joyous laughter reaching him made him smile ever so calmly.

His eyes was filled with satisfaction, his heart full with happiness for his sister.

He turned around and looked at the moon.

This entire adventure made him realize one thing.

_"Life is beautiful"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hanabi Rescue Team is finally home with a mission success!!
> 
> Honestly? I don't know what to say... It's sorta bittersweet, actually!
> 
> We're finally ending this book! Chloe and I worked on this for almost a year, and became close friends because of it!
> 
> We didn't expect this much views and positive feedback! So thank you, everyone!
> 
> Anyway! I'll cut this short and just say that you should tune in for more MenmaHina!
> 
> -OrenjiRabenda


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